2017/02/02 by Kathryn Hefner, Gerald Valentine, Mehmet Sofuoglu · 35 citations
Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · #Addiction #Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes #Electronic cigarette #Environmental health #Harm #Harm reduction #Medicine #Mental health #Mental illness #Nicotine #Nursing #Popularity #Population #Psychiatry #Psychology #Public health #Smoking Behavior and Cessation #Social psychology #Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes #Tobacco control #Tobacco harm reduction #Tobacco use
paper · doi:10.1111/ajad.12504
published in American Journal on Addictions 26(4), 306-315 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2017/02/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adults with mental illness (MI) use combustible tobacco at increased rates and have greater difficulty quitting smoking. Given the increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), their use by those with MI has important health implications. While preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits of e-cigarette use for those with MI, well-controlled, systematic research examining appeal, correlates, and consequences of e-cigarette use in this vulnerable population is lacking. This review evaluated current knowledge of e-cigarette use and potential for help and/or harm among adults with MI. METHODS: The search strategy resulted in k = 88 reports, of which k = 9 were deemed relevant. RESULTS: E-cigarette use is prevalent among those with MI, as is concurrent use of e-cigarettes and combustibles. E-cigarettes appeal to those with MI as a viable alternative to combustible tobacco, and their use does not appear to exacerbate nicotine addiction or psychiatric symptoms. However, the long-term impact of e-cigarette use on combustible tobacco use and other health indices is largely unknown. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Rigorous research and improved knowledge regarding risks and benefits of e-cigarette use within this vulnerable population are needed to inform whether special consideration is warranted towards those with MI in developing tobacco control policies and health communications. Recommendations for future e-cigarette research include improved assessment of the following: 1) psychodiagnostic variability, 2) flavor preferences, 3) the longitudinal impact on combustible tobacco use, and 4) impact of tobacco product communications. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: As with combustible cigarettes, individuals with MI may display unique e-cigarette use patterns from that of the general population. (Am J Addict 2017;26:306-315).