Those Experiencing Mental Illness

Mental Illness
Nebraska Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
 
Demographics:
  • There are over 43 million adults in the United States that experience a mental illness in a given year.  Ten million adults live with a serious mental illness. 1  In 2014, there was approximately 62,000 Nebraskans who had a serious mental illness.2
  • Mental illnesses disproportionately affect many health disparate populations.  Approximately 46% of homeless adults living in shelters live with a severe mental illness or substance use disorder, 20% of state prisoners and 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have at least one mental health condition. 1  Twenty-eight percent of Native Americans/Alaskan Natives live with a mental illness and 19% and 16% of African American and Latino adults respectively.3
  • In 2014, of the adults with mental health conditions, only 41% received mental health services. 1
  • In 2013, 57% of Nebraskan adults that received mental health services were female, the average age was 42 years, and 84% of consumers were white, 7% Latino, 4% black, and 2% Native American. 4Tobacco Use: 
  • Thirty-six percent of adults with a mental illness smoke cigarettes in comparison to 21% of adults with no mental illness.5  Adults living with a mental illness or substance use disorder account for 40% of the 588  million cigarettes smoked on a daily basis in the United States. 6
  • In 2013, 48% of Nebraskan consumers who have used mental health service facilities and 64% who used substance abuse facilities reported smoking.7
  • Among adults with mental illnesses that smoke in the United States, 42% are between 18 to 24 years of age and 47% have less than a high school education.  Native Americans/Alaska Natives have the highest prevalence of adults with a mental illness that smokes at 55%, with African Americans at 34% and Latinos at 32%.  Geographically, the Midwest has the highest prevalence with 39% followed by the South with 38%. 5
  • Adults with mental illnesses tend to be heavier smokers.  Smoking may interfere with the blood levels of psychotropic medications that are used to treat mental illnesses,  which decreases their effectiveness. 8
  • Data on youth with mental illnesses that smoke is not reported nationally which makes this information limited. Researchers believe it follows the trends of adults with mental illnesses that smoke. 8
  • Adults with mental illnesses that smoke want to quit smoking and are able to quit smoking with access to proven quit methods. As part of their mental illness treatment plan, these individuals have a better chance of quitting and it does not interfere with the treatment for their mental illness. 5
  • Tobacco companies have specifically targeted people with mental illnesses dating back to the 1980s and 1990s with sales promotions and giveaways to psychiatric hospitals, mental health institutions, and treatment facilities. 8 
Impact of Tobacco Use
  • Adults living with a serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier due to treatable medical conditions.  Serious mental illnesses cost the United States $193 billion in lost earning per year.1
  • Smoking is responsible for 80 percent of all lung cancer deaths.  It is a major risk factor for all cancers, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke.  These are the four leading causes of death in the United States.  It is estimated that adults with mental illnesses or substance use disorders account for over 40% of these deaths. 8
  • Individuals with mental illnesses tend to have higher rates of unemployment and poverty and smoking adds a financial burden (i.e. spending 27% of income on cigarettes). 8
Outreach, Engagement, and Intervention
  • Making cessation resources more readily available to this population will aid in increasing quit attempts and making them a part of treatment plans will help increase the success of quit attempts.5                             
  • It is recommended that research is conducted that is focused on the health and longevity of individuals with mental illnesses.5
  • Policies for 100% tobacco-free campuses are recommended for mental health facilities to promote and encourage not only clients to quit smoking, but staff as well.  These policies should include not providing cigarettes as rewards and not allowing staff to smoke with clients. 5
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1 National Alliance on Mental Illness. Mental Health by the Numbers. https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
2 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report. http://dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/AnnualReport14.pdf
3 National Alliance on Mental Illness. Mental Health Facts: Multicultural. https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/Infographics/MulticulturalMHFacts10-23-15.pdf
4Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Division of Behavioral Health 2013 Behavioral Health Consumer Survey. http://dhhs.ne.gov/behavioral_health/Documents/NE2013BehavHlthConsumerSurvey.pdf
5 CDC Vital Signs. Adult Smoking: Focusing on People with Mental Illness. http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/SmokingAndMentalIllness/
6 Substance Use and Mental Health Service Administration. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report. http://www.samhsa.gov/data/spotlight/Spot104-cigarettes-mental-illness-substance-use-disorder.pdf
7 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Tobacco Free Nebraska. Data Trends on Tobacco Use in Nebraska. http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Documents/13TFNDataTrends.pdf
8 Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Tobacco Use and Mental Health.http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0381.pdf
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