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9.
October
2017.
Smoking and Your Mental Health

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For immediate publication

09 October 2017

 

Smoking and Your Mental Health

AN incredible 45 per cent of all cigarettes are smoked by people with a mental health condition who are likely to die many years sooner than a non-smoker due to their habit.

This is one of the statistics unearthed by CNWL in its hard-hitting and informative new stop smoking video produced to help mental health patients understand the harm caused by smoking, the help that is available to patients who are smokers and that all NHS sites are now smoke free.

These include a range of nicotine replacement therapies and activities on the Occupational Therapy programme. Certain types of e-cigarettes are also allowed in single rooms and outside many buildings. The Recovery College also offers a special smoking cessation course.

Featuring interviews with CNWL staff and patients, ‘Smoking and Your Mental Health', which can be viewed on CNWL's website atwww.cnwl.nhs.uk/news/new-video-smoking-mental-health, explains why all NHS siteshave gone smoke free, not just inside hospitals or mental health units and goes on to reveal some impacts of smoking.

Along with the financial and physical health costs, the video talks of the huge amount of ward staff time it takes to escort patients outside - time better spent helping patients on their road to recovery - and that smoking helps increase, not decrease, levels of anxiety and depression.

Quitting smoking, it says will lead to reduced stress levels and will help psychiatric medication work better meaning patients can reduce dosage levels, meaning fewer side effects, and better physical health.

CNWL Peer Support Worker and former smoker Peter Kavanagh said he felt more "self-confident" after he stopped. He said: "As far as my physical health is concerned, it was quite striking. The difference was I was playing tennis. I was enjoying the social element of the tennis club and I was quite happy in myself with the way my life was going. It was the most profound thing that had happened."

Manoj Mungur, Ferneley Ward Manager at Northwick Park Hospital's Mental Health Unit, plays a key role in helping patients stop smoking.

"My job is to help the patient as much as I can, for them to understand the dangers associated with smoking and explain to them that our job as nurses is to promote health," he said.

Occupational therapist Di Hurley said: "We really hope patients will take the long term view that we really don't want to cause you any more distress, but what we do want is for you to have a go at stopping smoking while we are there to support you."

She adds: "It may take several runs at this before you finally succeed - in fact the average is about seven times. Never give up giving up."

For more details:

Contact Senior Communications Officer Jeremy Dunning on 0203 214 5756 or emailjeremy.dunning@nhs.net

The video can be viewed via our website on:-

http://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/news/new-video-smoking-mental-health/

Or through YouTube on this link:-

https://youtu.be/kOVemleBZ0E
 
CNWL runs a variety of community health and mental health services throughout the South of England.