Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in Hospitalized Patients With Psychiatric Disorders

Varenicline increases smoking abstinence rates compared to bupropion, nicotine patch or placebo in outpatients with psychiatric disorders. The American Psychiatric Association identifies psychiatric hospitalizations as an ideal opportunity to treat tobacco dependence. However, no previous studies have tested whether varenicline may improve smoking cessation rates compared to nicotine patch in hospitalized patients with mental illness. Additionally, varenicline has shown to be safe for mental health stable outpatients, but safety in psychiatric inpatients is unknown. Multisite open trial controlled study designed to assess varenicline's effectiveness on smoking cessation compared to nicotine patch, in patients who are discharged from a psychiatric unit. Treatment will start during hospitalization and last 12 weeks followed by a non-treatment follow-up phase for 4 weeks. Safety will be assessed by comparing the incidence of adverse events. Participants will be randomized to receive varenicline or nicotine patch during 12 weeks. All participants will receive smoking cessation counseling.