Sections
Nicotine and Tobacco: Introduction | Epidemiology of Tobacco Use | Molecular Biology and Pharmacology of Nicotinic Receptors | Clinical Effects of Nicotine and Tobacco | Psychosocial Treatments | Pharmacological Treatments | Integration of Tobacco Dependence Treatment in Mental Health
Care Settings | Conclusion | Key Points | References | Suggested Reading
Excerpt
Although rates of tobacco use and dependence
have been reduced substantially since the 1960s, one in five Americans continues
to smoke. The prevalence of smoking appears to be substantially
higher in persons with psychiatric and substance use disorders,
and these individuals also have less success when they attempt smoking
cessation. In this chapter we review the epidemiology of tobacco
use and dependence and the pharmacological effects of nicotine and
tobacco and discuss the clinical assessment of tobacco users. We
then review behavioral and pharmacological treatments, including
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved pharmacotherapies:
nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), sustained-release bupropion,
and varenicline. Finally, we discuss the integration of tobacco
dependence treatment into mental health settings with the view that
tobacco dependence is a chronic medical disorder and that more effective
treatment of this comorbidity in psychiatric disorders may require
targeted treatments based on a better understanding of the pathophysiology
of individual psychiatric disorders.