Bupropion increases smoking abstinence rates in smokers with schizophrenia, without jeopardizing their mental state. Varenicline may also improve smoking cessation rates in schizophrenia, but its possible psychiatric adverse effects cannot be ruled out. CR may help this group of patients to quit and reduce smoking in the short term. We failed to find convincing evidence that other interventions have a beneficial effect on smoking in schizophrenia.
Transdermal nicotine and smoking behavior in psychiatric patients.
The authors used a double-blind crossover design to observe the effect of transdermally administered nicotine on the smoking behavior of 13 psychiatric patients who were not trying to stop smoking. The patients smoked significantly fewer cigarettes while receiving nicotine than while receiving placebo. These data suggest that transdermally administered nicotine can be a useful adjunct in treating nicotine-addicted psychiatric patients in a non-smoking environment.