Standardized Manual-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment in Patients With Comorbid Mental Disorders: Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract

Abstract Background Smoking prevalence is disproportionately high among individuals with mental disorders, who also show reduced cessation success, suggesting that current cessation interventions may not fully address their specific needs. A barrier to smoking cessation is the fear that quitting may worsen mental health, yet little is known about how individuals with mental disorders experience guideline-conform cessation treatments, which may address such concerns. Objective This qualitative study explored the perspectives of smoking individuals with comorbid mental disorders who participated in a standardized, manual-based, cognitive behavioral smoking cessation program to identify targets for optimizing guideline-conform interventions for this population, spanning treatment engagement, perceived challenges, and facilitators within this context. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 participants representing diverse cessation trajectories (sustained abstinence, relapse, and no quit attempt) 6 months after treatment completion. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Three overarching themes were identified. First, participants described smoking cessation as a multidimensional, processual experience extending beyond behavioral change to encompass psychological and social dimensions, characterized by nonlinearity, adaptive meaning-making, and improvements in self-efficacy despite transient strain during early abstinence. Second, smoking was experienced as a functionally embedded practice serving affective, habitual, and social functions, with motivation emerging as dynamic and relationally sustained rather than stable. Third, treatment engagement was shaped by motivational states and contextual circumstances, with participants offering favorable evaluations of the structured intervention alongside recommendations for greater individualization and flexibility. Notably, mental health–related concerns about cessation largely persisted despite predominantly positive or neutral mental health outcomes, a pattern consistent with cognitive immunization processes. Conclusions Guideline-conform smoking cessation treatment appears feasible and largely well-received by individuals with comorbid mental disorders. The findings highlight the need for targeted psychoeducation to address persistent misconceptions about the mental health risks of cessation, as well as individualized, context-sensitive treatment adaptations, including greater flexibility in session structure, motivational support beyond the active treatment phase, and explicit attention to the social and functional embeddedness of smoking, to improve cessation outcomes in this high-risk population.