Figli di un dio minore: il trattamento del tabagismo nei pazienti con malattie mentali

Tobacco addiction, a major world-wide health problem, is widely recognized as a chronic, relapsing mental disorder, disproportionaltely affecting people with psychiatric comorbidity that smoke and develop smoke-related diseases more than smokers without mental illness. Paradoxically, these patients receive fewer invitations to stop and less support in the process of smoking cessation. The treatment of smoking addiction may give good results in these patients if properly performed. First-line drugs proved to be effective also for these patients. Aim of this review is to present scientific data in the literature in order to make a breach in the wall of neglect that too often surrounds people nicotine dependent with mental illness and to give an opportunity to these patients, generally suffering of severe smoking dependence. Even more hoped would be that the local mental health services to take charge of this serious problem by providing pharmacological treatment and behavioral support to their own patients.