Implementation of Tobacco Control Strategies in Psychiatric Institutions for Children and Adolescents: an Online Survey of Leading Staff Members

Objective Tobacco control measures are relevant also in child and adolescent psychiatric institutions and their implementation in Germany will be assessed in this study. Methods In an online survey, n=78 leading staff members responded to standardized questions assessing how smoking in patients was dealt in such institutions. Results The majority of institutions (70-87%) had smoking bans in the psychiatric clinic buildings and premises. Depending on the type of psychiatric ward, exceptions were in place in the form of a designated smoking area (38%), smoking pavilion (19%), or when patients suffered from certain mental disorders (28%). Documentation of violations of the ban varied with the type of ward (30-79%), while in most cases violations led to consequences (84-93%) including confiscation of smoking utilities (42-63%) or a curfew (25-38%). Smoking cessation aids were reported by 78% of the institutions, most often as consultations (64%). Pharmacological treatments for smoking were provided in inpatient wards (71-83%). One in two institutions documented the result of cessation attempts (54%). Smoking-related working groups (14%) or the use of standardized diagnostic instruments (0-4%) were much less frequently reported. Discussion We provide a first look at tobacco control policy measures in child and adolescent psychiatric institutions on a national scale. This allows us to derive future areas for tobacco control.