Using Admissions to a "Smokefree" hospital to promote cessation of smoking in mental health inpatients versus a representation of the general population.

To investigate the interest of persons in attempting to quit cigarette smoking while hospital inpatients and to identify activities to assist them to do this. The study uses a longitudinal prospective design to collect survey data from two cohorts of hospital inpatients: those recruited from a mental health ward and those from orthopaedic, plastic surgery & neurosurgery wards (The orthopaedic, plastic and neurosurgery patients are collected from the orthopaedics wards G51 & G53 at Sir Charlie Gairdner Hospital only). In addition, two sub-sets of participants (those who are not interested in quitting smoking and those that want to quit) from the mental health cohort will be allocated (randomised) to a “normal contact” or “intervention” group with 100 people per group. As part of hospital management, all patients who are smokers and are admitted as inpatients will, at the time of admission, be informed of a strict smoking ban within the hospital and its grounds and be offered nicotine replacement. All participants complete a consent form and receive the patient information sheet; they then complete the baseline questionnaire. Those that are allocated to the ‘normal group’ are then interviewed 4 days and 6 months post discharge from the hospital. Those allocated to the ‘intervention group’ are followed up every 3 days whilst in hospital, offered additional ‘Quit Smoking’ resources and access to an online an ‘Quit’ program. On discharge they are given ‘one months’ supply of nicotine replacement therapy (see patient information sheet for NRT offered) and also followed up at 4, 14 days and 3, 6 months post discharge. Furthermore the ‘intervention group’ receive a series of encouragement, relapse prevention and handy tips via SMS messages up until 6 months post discharge plus additional counseling and aid via telephone. At 6 months a subset of participants will be invited to take part in focus groups to provide a detailed investigation of the needs of patients to aid cessation both pre and post-discharge. This study will look a few hypotheses: ? Patients will find it easier to reduce tobacco intake in a ‘Non Smoking’ Hospital environment with the aid of longer term health promotion intervention? ? Mental Health Patients will find reducing smoking patterns more difficult compared to ‘normal’ group o Due to the environment ie: high level of smokers will increase uptake of smoking whilst in ‘adult mental health units’ o Patients are dealing with a number of ‘mental health’ issues, therefore increased stress levels may increase tobacco intake.