The effect of the severity of nicotine dependence on psychopathology, insight and illness severity in schizophrenia

Abstract

Aim: Compared to the general healthy population, and other psychiatric disorders the prevalence of smoking is found to be much higher among people with schizophrenia. Our study aims to determine the prevalence of nicotine dependence and investigate the effects of the severity of nicotine dependence on psychopathology, illness severity and insight in a population of people with schizophrenia. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a psychotic disorders outpatient clinic at Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital. Four hundred and ten schizophrenia patients were administered by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Schedule for Assessment of Insight (SAI), Clinical Global Impression Severity of Illness (CGI-S) and the Turkish version of Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Results: The prevalence of nicotine dependence among the patients was 49.0%. The one-way analysis of variance revealed that subjects with severe nicotine dependence scored more in the positive subscale of PANSS and CGI-S compared with patients with mild-moderate nicotine dependence. Those with severe nicotine dependence were also prescribed higher doses of antipsychotic. Conclusions: Our findings indicate an association between nicotine dependence, positive symptoms and severity of illness. Identifying this relationship can be helpful in the management of smoking cessation treatment in patients with schizophrenia.