Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.118770
Revised: February 14, 2026
Accepted: April 1, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
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Smoking prevalence remains disproportionately high among individuals with severe mental illness, contributing to excess morbidity and mortality. Despite this burden, rigorously designed intervention studies targeting smoking cessation in this population are limited. The literature reveals a lack of randomized controlled trials investigating the effectiveness of nurse-led smoking cessation interventions among individuals with severe mental illness. This study was designed to eva
To assess the effectiveness of smoking cessation training in patients at a comm
This randomized controlled trial was conducted in a community mental health center between February and August 2025. Sixty-eight participants were assigned to intervention (n = 34) and control (n = 34) groups. The intervention was an eight-session group smoking cessation program delivered over four weeks. Data were collected using the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence and the Smoking Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Statistical analyses included two-way repeated measures analysis of variance for group × time effects, χ2 and independent samples t-tests.
Significant group × time interaction effects were observed for Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, Smoking Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and cigarettes smoked per day (P < 0.01). Post hoc analyses demonstrated that reductions in nicotine dependence and increases in smoking self-efficacy were evident immediately after the intervention and remained significant at the 1-month follow-up, whereas reductions in cigarette consumption were significant only immediately after the intervention. Between-group differences were no longer statistically significant at the 3-month follow-up.
Nurse-led smoking cessation programs resulted in significant short-term reductions in nicotine dependence and cigarette use, and increased self-efficacy; however, these gains were not maintained at 3-month follow-up.
Core Tip: Studies have consistently shown that smoking is a major public health concern among individuals with severe mental illness. The literature suggests that randomized controlled trials examining smoking cessation interventions, particularly nurse-led interventions, remain limited. This study demonstrated that nurse-led smoking cessation training delivered to individuals with severe mental illness registered in a community mental health center was effective in reducing nicotine dependence and daily cigarette consumption and in increasing smoking cessation self-efficacy. The results indicate that a nurse-delivered program can generate meaningful short-term improvements both in dependence levels and in individuals’ confidence in their ability to quit smoking.