Comparison of two intensities of tobacco dependence counseling in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Compared to the general population, smokers with schizophrenia (SCZ) have reduced success in quitting smoking with usual approaches. This study tested two manualized behavioral counseling approaches—Treatment of Addiction to Nicotine in Schizophrenia (TANS) or Medication Management (MM)—for smokers who were motivated to quit. Individual counseling sessions were provided by mental health clinicians in mental health settings, along with nicotine patch. The two treatments varied in intensity and frequency of sessions. Eighty-seven subjects were randomized and attended at least one treatment session. Twenty-one percent (n = 18) of participants had continuous abstinence at 12 weeks after the target quit date, which was not significantly different between conditions (15.6% TANS vs. 26.2% MM, χ2 = 1.50, p = .221). Smokers in both groups significantly reduced smoking as measured by cigarettes per day and expired carbon monoxide. Findings support that mental health clinicians can be trained to effectively help smokers with SCZ maintain tobacco abstinence.