Smoking cessation treatment outcomes before and during the covid-19 pandemic in people with and without mental health disorders.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic likely heightened stress in smokers undergoing cessation treatment, while healthcare services faced challenges in maintaining interventions during the pre-vaccination phase. This study compares smoking cessation outcomes before and during the pandemic in individuals with and without mental health disorders and identifies variables associated with abstinence.

Method: A naturalistic longitudinal design with a one-year follow-up was used. Smoking quit rates and time to relapse in participants who received a multicomponent cessation intervention before the lockdown (2019 group, n=147) were compared with those during the pandemic (2020 group, n=120).

Results: The sample was 53.6% female, mean age of 58.2, and 79.4% had a comorbid mental disorder. One-year quit rates and time to relapse were similar between the 2019 and 2020 groups (51% vs. 50.8%; 225.3 vs. 221.6 days, respectively). A mental health history did not affect outcomes. Smokers aged 55 or older had higher quit rates during the pandemic than younger smokers (61% vs. 41%) and no differences were found between in-person and telematic interventions.

Conclusions: Smoking cessation rates were similar before and during the pandemic, regardless of mental health status, and the increased use of telematic visits could be considered after the pandemic era. Older age was only associated with abstinence during the pandemic; highlighting the need for research on improving outcomes in younger populations undergoing treatment during stressful times. Identifying modifiable variables associated with abstinence can help smoking cessation services implement strategies to prevent relapse.