Cigarette Smoking as a Risk Factor for Greater Psychiatric Symptom Severity Across Serious Mental Illnesses: A Secondary Analysis of Three Nationally-Representative NIH Datasets
Principal Investigator: David Bond
Funding Mechanism: National Institutes of Health – Grant
ID number: 1R21DA051538-01
Award Date: 7/20/2020
Institution: University of Minnesota
People with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) such as bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and major depressive disorder (MDD) comprise a population that is especially vulnerable to tobacco use; people with SMIs are twice as likely to smoke as people without SMIs. However, a federal tobacco education campaign targeted to the SMI subpopulation has not yet been developed. The goal of this study is to provide scientific evidence that could be used to develop such a campaign. Specific aims are: (1) to determine whether smoking is a risk factor for increased time in illness episodes (mood episodes in BD smokers; psychotic episodes in SCZ smokers; and depressive episodes in MDD smokers) in people with SMIs; (2) to determine whether smoking is a risk factor for increased time in depression across SMIs; and (3) to determine predictors of within-person changes in smoking behavior (initiating, quitting, relapsing). To achieve these aims, researchers will analyze data from three large National Institutes of Health datasets (BD: STEP-BD study, N=4361; SCZ: CATIE study, N=1460; and MDD: STAR*D study, N=2248). Study findings will provide scientific evidence that may be used to inform the development of a tobacco education campaign targeted to people with SMIs.