Objective: The present study is designed to assess the rate of smoking and related factors in outpatients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and delusional disorder.
Methods: Medical records of 541 patients, diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and delusional disorder according to DSM-IV were examined retrospectively. Daily cigarette consumption, sociodemographic characteristics and medical data of the patients were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the factors associated with smoking. Correlation analysis was performed to assess factors related with daily cigarette consumption.
Results: Of the 541 patients, 242 (44.7%) were current smokers. Smoking rate was significantly higher in males. Although there were differences in sociodemographic characteristics and disorder related variables, there was no difference in smoking rates of patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and delusional disorder. In logistic regression analysis it was shown that smoking was associated with male gender and violent behavior after illness onset in psychotic disorders. Correlation analysis showed that mean number of daily consumed cigarettes correlated moderately with the duration of the illness.
Conclusions: In the study, similar smoking rates were found between psychotic disorders. Smoking is strongly related with male gender and violent behavior after onset of illness. The relation between smoking and violent behavior emerges as a new field deserving further investigation.
Key words: Delusional disorder, psychotic disorders, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, smoking
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