Qualitative exploration of family perspectives of smoke-free mental health and addiction services

The significant health disparities experienced by people with mental illness indicate the need for mental health service improvement. This qualitative study explored family and whnau (Maori family group) perspectives of smoke-free mental health services. Thematic analysis found that family and whnau identified a number of barriers to the implementation of successful smoke-free policy, including lack of coordination and consistency, and limited, if any, family and whnau inclusion. Family and whnau discussed smoking as a strategy for coping with anxiety and boredom; therefore, the need for other activities and strategies to replace smoking was identified as necessary in effective service delivery. The attitude that mental health service policy should be different from general health policy, due to the experience of mental distress, was also identified. In this paper, we argue that the development and implementation of quality mental health services would be strengthened by involving family and whnau in smoke-free initiatives. Furthermore, the provision of relevant information to family, whnau, and service users would help dispel myths and stigma associated with tobacco and mental health.