Effect of Tobacco Restriction on Length of Hospital Stay of Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Purpose : The objective of the study was to compare the length of hospital stay of smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers admitted to the psychiatric unit before and after an increase in the severity of smoking restriction. Design and Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted with 270 patients (smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers) hospitalized in a psychiatric ward of a general hospital. They were divided into two groups: (1) 101 patients allowed one cigarette per hour (from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and (2) 169 patients whose restriction was changed to eight cigarettes/day. Findings : The smokers hospitalized after the change in the patients’ access to cigarettes presented shorter length of hospitalization (13.8 days) than with smokers hospitalized and allowed one cigarette per hour (17.1 days). Regardless of the restriction in place, the smokers’ average length of hospital stay (14.9 days) is shorter than the average for former smokers (17.7 days) and for nonsmokers (17.6 days). Practice Implications : The restriction on smoking may be an important tool of care in psychiatric services; however, the way it is implanted, the support resources available, and the training of nurses to enable them to deal with patients during the course of implementation must be revised.