Measuring the Integration of Tobacco Policy and Treatment into the Behavioral Health Care Delivery System: How Are We Doing?

People with a mental illness and/or drug use disorder have a higher rate of smoking than adults in general. To address this challenge, recommendations include integrating tobacco-free policies and tobacco dependency treatment into the behavioral health care delivery system. Currently, little is known regarding levels of such integration.

Evaluation of the timeliness of psychiatric consultations.

Background: Emergency department (ED) delays have multiple causes and create frustration for patients and staff alike.

Methods: New adult psychiatric ED consultations were studied. Elapsed time between workflow stages was tested as a predictor of total time from triage to disposition.

Cigarette smoking and associated health risks among students at five universities.

Introduction: While most college students and other young adults who smoke fall into the light and intermittent smoking (LITS) category, they remain at risk for tobacco dependence and other adverse health effects from their smoking. This study examines smoking patterns, tobacco dependence, and other health variables among students at five universities to better understand how to identify and address tobacco use and related risks in a college health clinic setting.

Methods: A health screening survey was completed by 2,091 college and graduate student volunteers seeking routine care at their university health centers or participating in a health class.

Smoking and mental health problems in treatment-seeking university students.

Smoking prevalence and daily cigarette consumption are significantly higher among individuals with mental health problems. Studies performed in the general population report greater levels of functional disability, more psychiatric symptoms, and poorer quality of life in heavy smokers. Less is known about the burden of tobacco in individuals seeking mental health care.