A prospective study of the impact of smoking on outcomes in bipolar and schizoaffective disorder

Abstract

Background: Tobacco smoking is more prevalent among people with mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, than in the general community. Most data are cross-sectional, and there are no prospective trials examining the relationship of smoking to outcome in bipolar disorder. The impact of tobacco smoking on mental health outcomes was investigated in a 24-month, naturalistic, longitudinal study of 240 people with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. Method: Participants were interviewed and data recorded by trained study clinicians at 9 interviews during the study period. Results: Comparisons were made between participants who smoked daily (n = 122) and the remaining study particip..