A Holistic Approach to Mental Health and Smoking Cessation

1. A Holistic Approach to Mental Health and Smoking Cessation Fiona Aldred – Mind Aberystwyth Tracey Price – Pembrokeshire & Carmarthen Mind

2. Mental Health and Smoking • Smoking is twice as common among people with mental disorders. • 3 million smokers in the UK have evidence of mental disorder. • A significant number of people are affected by mental distress without a diagnosis and smoke. • Smoking also affects carers, young carers and family members.

3. History of Mind Aberystwyth Stop Smoking Service • Mind Aberystwyth formed as an organisation in 2004. • 2004 Wanless Funding awarded to address inequalities in health. • Research with the client group, including Carers evidenced that people wanted to address general health concerns. • People stated that they wanted to learn to eat better, exercise and stop smoking.

4. Stop Smoking Model • The organisation opened its doors in January 2005, smoke free. • This was directed by the clients desire to not smoke whilst using the service. • We were operating as a smoke free environment 2 years before the national smoking ban was put into place in Wales.

5. Always the Optimist • So what next? • We trained all staff and volunteers in our brief intervention model. • The model includes: • Education around mental health and smoking. • Exploring staff attitudes towards smoking and mental health. • Brief Intervention

6. The 4 As • Staff talk to all people accessing our services using The 4 As tool. • Assess - status of person (smoker, non-smoker, ex-smoker) • Advice - personalised advice to quit • Assist - for smokers interested in more information, explanation of our service • Arrange - refer the person to our stop smoking worker

7. Mind Aberystwyth smoking cessation service. • Initial no-commitment education and information session/s. • Seen by the same person each week for up to one hour. • Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) • CO readings • Phone support • Whole team support when accessing other parts of the service, Art, Drop in etc

8. Team Tools • Brief Intervention • Motivational Interviewing- decision balance process • Reflecting • Scaling

9. Results • February 2007 – following full 3 months holistic support 70% of clients from Mind Aberystwyth were successfully quitting. • 43% of clients started accessing different services on offer at Mind Aberystwyth. • It appeared that stopping smoking was such a significant achievement that people went on to make other life changes, including re-entering education, finding employment.

10. What Next? • Hywel Dda Health Board have awarded Mind Aberystwyth & Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen Mind funding to re-establish the service. This is through the Support for Life Grant scheme • This will run throughout the region for the next 12 months. • Supporting Change through smoking cessation

11. Tracey Price • One Mind in Wales – collaborative working • OCN - Workbooks & Stop Smoking Workbook • Health and wellbeing • Secondary services