Screening for eating disorders in outpatient smoking cessation: Feasibility, pertinence, and acceptance of referral to specific treatment.

Abstract

To estimate (1) the feasibility and pertinence of implementing systematic screening for eating disorders (EDs) in outpatient smoking cessation (SC), and (2) the acceptance of a referral to ED-specific treatment. Tobacco smokers (N = 203) who consecutively underwent the initial assessment of a SC program were screened for an ED. Screen-positive patients were administered the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and received a referral to ED-specific treatment using brief advice when identified with a current ED. Among the total sample, the prevalence of a current ED at baseline was 8.9% (men: 1/109, 0.9%; women: 17/94, 18.1%). The acceptance rate of referral to ED-specific treatment was 17%, whereas having a current ED at baseline was significantly associated with a higher probability of dropping out of the SC program at 4 weeks (OR = 21.8, 95%CI: 3.0-161.2, P = 0.003). Screening for EDs in outpatient SC seems worthwhile and easily implementable, but patients who are identified with a current ED might not be prone to accept referral to specific treatment and tend to drop out early. This study underlines the need to explore this topic in larger clinical samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:1018-1022).