Smoking Cessation for pregnant women with mental illness
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Influences on smoking behaviours from perspectives of pregnant smokers with moderate to severe mental illness and health professionals: A qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework
IRAS ID
320803
Contact name
Ellie Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Dr
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a stillbirth or miscarriage. Smoking during pregnancy is also linked to sudden infant death syndrome and babies being born with low birthweight, breathing problems, attention and hyperactivity disorders, learning disabilities, obesity, diabetes and becoming smokers themselves. Stopping smoking during pregnancy is one of the most important things that can be done to improve the health, growth and development of the unborn baby. It is also the single most important thing that women can do to improve their own long-term health.
Pregnant women with mental illness are more likely to smoke than those who do not have mental illness. Local data suggests that pregnant women with moderate to severe mental illness who use perinatal mental health services are three to four times more likely to still be smoking when they give birth compared to those who do not suffer mental illness. Research in the general population shows that stopping smoking can improve mental health. No research has been done to find out what helps pregnant women with moderate to severe mental illness to stop smoking.
We will interview pregnant women with moderate to severe mental illness who are eligible for referral to perinatal mental health services and NHS health professionals who provide care to this group of women to find out what the barriers and enablers and facilitators are to stopping smoking from their perspectives. Finding out their experiences will help us to understand how care could be improved. This research will inform the next phase research (not described in this application) which will adapt a smoking cessation intervention specifically for pregnant women with moderate to severe mental illness.Participants will be asked to take part in one interview lasting 50-60 minutes. The study will last for 12 months.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0360
Date of REC Opinion
15 May 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion