Supporting people with severe mental illness (SMI) to manage their tobacco dependence offers significant benefits, especially when individuals stop smoking long term. Although just as likely to want to stop smoking as people who do not have SMI, this patient group typically faces significant barriers and challenges to stopping.
The guiding principles and best practice recommendations listed here have been drawn from published literature and clinical experience. They are designed to maximise opportunities, overcome barriers and meet the challenges encountered by people with SMI who smoke.
This document is intended to support services to adapt, and practitioners to tailor, stop smoking support to improve outcomes for individuals with SMI.