Sex Differences in Smoking Prevalence and Characteristics Associated with Receptivity to Quitting in Psychiatric Patients

Background: Smoking rates are elevated in psychiatric samples in general, rendering smoking a significant concern in this population. Moreover, women with psychiatric illness may be more likely to smoke cigarettes than men, in contrast with the higher rate of smoking for men in the general population. To extend our understanding of smoking in individuals with psychiatric illness, we studied a sample of patients seeking treatment, most of whom suffered from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), assessing smoking history and, among current smokers, willingness to be contacted about a smoking cessation program. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of 129 outpatients (88 women, 41 men). Seventy-eight percent of the sample was diagnosed as having MDD (53% with MDD only, 15% with comorbid MDD and anxiety disorder, and 10% with comorbid MDD and dysthymia). The remaining 22% were diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and a variety of other psychiatric disorders (fewer than 5% each). Results: Overall, 33% of our sample were current smokers and 12% were exsmokers. Current smokers had completed significantly fewer years of formal education than the never smokers. Smoking rate was elevated in female patients (34%) compared to