UNE/Spurwink Center for Research Receives Grant to Reduce Smoking Among Poor People with Mental Illness
 
Poor people with mental illness smoke more, begin smoking earlier, and die from smoking-related diseases at a much higher rate than the general population, according to research.

The University of New England/Spurwink Center for Research has received a $100,000 grant from the American Legacy Foundation (Legacy) to fund a project aimed at reducing smoking among low-income people with severe mental illness.

The Center for Research is a collaborative program of UNE and Spurwink, whose mission is to conduct research and demonstration projects to enhance the health of Maine’s most vulnerable populations.

This one-year pilot project is part of Legacy’s Priorities Populations program, which will provide $21 million over three years to a broad range of organizations that employ effective and innovative approaches to decrease tobacco use among minorities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Cheryl Healton, Legacy’s president and chief executive officer, praised the UNE/Spurwink Center for Research for its commitment to reducing and preventing tobacco use.

"We are pleased to offer this grant to the Center for Research and help expand its efforts to reduce tobacco use among low-income mental health patients," Healton said.

Grant funds will be used to train mental health staff to provide smoking cessation counseling and medical treatment. The grant also will provide funds to conduct research into the scope of smoking and its impact on mental health clients’ health.

Research Findings
Research shows that about 90 percent of people using state-supported mental health services smoke, a far higher percentage than the rest of the U.S. adult population (23.5 percent). Research further demonstrates that people in this group smoke at rates two-to
three times higher than others their age, begin smoking earlier, and die from smoking-related diseases at a rate nearly three times greater than others in the 25-44 age range. Their rates of pulmonary and heart disease are estimated to be six to seven times higher.

The Center for Research project is a collaborative effort. Participating partners include Counseling Services, Inc. (CSI), the major community-based non-profit mental health agency in York County; Goodall Hospital’s Partnership for Healthier
Communities; and the Center for Tobacco Independence at Maine Medical Center, the operator of the state’s smoking hotline and a training resource for the entire state on smoking-related issues.

CSI’s mental health staff will provide the smoking cessation counseling and medical treatment. They also will integrate smoking cessation into the individually tailored treatment plans of CSI clients whenever appropriate. Smoking levels and history will now be integrated into all intake processes conducted by CSI, and treatment recommendations will be built into overall treatment plans.

"No one else is focusing on this group," said Stephen Rose, Ph.D., the grant coordinator/principal investigator and professor of social work in UNE’s College of Health Professions. "I am very excited to work with CSI, The Center for Tobacco Independence, and Goodall Hospital. Bringing together smoking cessation experts with an innovative, community-oriented mental health agency should produce some exciting results."

American Legacy Foundation
The American Legacy Foundation is a national, independent public health foundation located in Washington, D.C. and was created by the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with U.S. tobacco companies. Maine was one of the states participating in the settlement. Legacy collaborates with organizations interested in decreasing tobacco use among all ages and populations nationwide. Its goals include reducing tobacco use by youth, decreasing exposure to secondhand smoke, increasing successful quit rates, and reducing disparities in access to prevention and cessation services.

This grant is part of a second round of funding in Legacy’s Priority Populations program. More than $10 million has been awarded to 49 organizations in 29 states, all focused on reducing tobacco use among one of more disadvantaged populations: African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Native American and Alaska Native, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender and low-income persons.

The grant application process was highly competitive; only 15-20 percent of applicants received awards. The project is scheduled to begin in September 2002.

(Press release issued May 21, 2002.)

   
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