Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27003925›Full record

SynthesisAddiction (Abingdon, England)2016

A mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis of mental health professionals' attitudes toward smoking and smoking cessation among people with mental illnesses.

Kate Sheals, Ildiko Tombor, Ann McNeill, Lion Shahab

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 92 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
92citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

92 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Smoking cessation for improving mental health.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
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  7. Trial
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  14. Acceptability of integrating smoking cessation treatment into routine care for people with mental illness: A qualitative study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2023
    Trial
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  16. Proactive tobacco treatment for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy · 2021
    Trial
  17. Trial
  18. Healthcare professionals' experiences of supporting pregnant women with mental illness with their smoking behaviors: a qualitative study.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2026
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Observational

32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Kate ShealsDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
Ildiko TomborDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
Ann McNeillInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, London, UK, King's College London, London, UK.
Lion ShahabDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

British Heart Foundation C27061/A18679Cancer Research UKMedical Research Council MR/K023195/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsPeople with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders are important targets for smoking cessation interventions. Mental health professionals (MHPs) are ideally placed to deliver interventions, but their attitudes may prevent this. This systematic review therefore aimed to identify and estimate quantitatively MHPs attitudes towards smoking and main barriers for providing smoking cessation support and to explore these attitudes in-depth through qualitative synthesis.

methodsThe online databases AMED, EMBASE, Medline, PsychINFO, HMIC and CINAHL were searched in March 2015 using terms relating to three concepts: 'attitudes', 'mental health professionals' and 'smoking cessation'. Quantitative or qualitative studies of any type were included. Proportions of MHPs' attitudes towards smoking and smoking cessation were pooled across studies using random effects meta-analysis. Qualitative findings were evaluated using thematic synthesis.

resultsThirty-eight studies including 16 369 participants were eligible for inclusion. Pooled proportions revealed that 42.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 35.7-48.8] of MHPs reported perceived barriers to smoking cessation interventions, 40.5% (95% CI = 30.4-51.0) negative attitudes towards smoking cessation and 45.0% (95% CI = 31.9-58.4) permissive attitudes towards smoking. The most commonly held beliefs were that patients are not interested in quitting (51.4%, 95% CI = 33.4-69.2) and that quitting smoking is too much for patients to take on (38%, 95% CI = 16.4-62.6). Qualitative findings were consistent with quantitative results, revealing a culture of smoking as 'the norm' and a perception of cigarettes as a useful tool for patients and staff.

conclusionsA significant proportion of mental health professionals hold attitudes and misconceptions that may undermine the delivery of smoking cessation interventions; many report a lack of time, training and confidence as main barriers to addressing smoking in their patients.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelSmoking CessationComorbidityHealth PersonnelHumansMental DisordersSmokingTobacco SmokingAttitudeshealth care professionalsmental healthmeta-analysispsychiatric patientssystematic reviewtobacco treatment

Identifiers

PMID27003925
PMCPMC5025720

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.