Varenicline is not associated with an increased risk of suicide or criminal behaviour

Champix Varenicline

Abi Rose summarises a recent cohort study, which concludes that the smoking cessation drug varenicline is not associated with increased risk of suicidal or criminal behaviour, and association with psychiatric disorders are likely due to other factors.  

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Smoking cessation for people with severe mental illness

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Sally Adams appraises and summarises the SCIMITAR pilot RCT, which investigates smoking cessation for people with severe mental ill health. The paper presents a highly promising bespoke intervention for smokers with bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia.

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Smoking and risk of schizophrenia: new study finds a dose-response relationship

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Marcus Munafò looks at the mounting evidence about smoking and risk of schizophrenia, including a new case-control study that provides clear evidence of a prospective association between cigarette smoking and a subsequent diagnosis of schizophrenia.

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“Admission to a secure unit is an opportunity to reduce smoking” says guidance

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In this blog, Caroline De Brún and André Tomlin look at new guidance from Public Health England, to help commissioners and service providers instigate smoking cessation programmes and smoke-free secure mental health units.

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The effect of smoke-free psychiatric hospitals on smoking behaviour: more evidence needed

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Olivia Maynard appraises a recent systematic review, which investigates the impact of smoke-free psychiatric hospitals on patients’ motivations to quit and smoking behaviour.

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Promoting smoking cessation in people with schizophrenia

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Meg Fluharty summarises a recent clinical overview of smoking cessation in people with severe mental illness, which provides useful practical advice to clinicians who are trying to help service users with schizophrenia, psychosis and other conditions to quit smoking

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Varenicline supports smoking reduction and smoking cessation, according to RCT

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Paul Christiansen highlights an RCT of varenicline on smoking cessation through smoking reduction, which suggests that varenicline may be an effective treatment for smokers who wish to gradually reduce their cigarette consumption.

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Motivational interviewing may help people quit smoking, but more research is needed

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Olivia Maynard summarises the recent Cochrane systematic review on motivational interviewing for smoking cessation, which concludes that motivational interviewing may assist people to quit smoking, but does not tell us much about the actual components of MI that optimise the success of the intervention.

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Health behaviour change counselling in a dental setting

This meta-analysis claims to be the first evaluating mindfulness-based interventions in primary care.

Oral health professionals can play an important role in helping patients adopt good health behaviours. This review summarises 7 systematic reviews, finding that the strongest evidence is for smoking cessation and dietary interventions delivered by dental professionals.

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Varenicline and the risk of neuropsychiatric adverse events and death

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Natasha Clarke publishes her debut Mental Elf blog about a new systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the risk of neuropsychiatric adverse events associated with the smoking cessation drug varenicline.

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