Is smoking linked to positive symptoms in acutely ill psychiatric patients

摘要: Background: The self-medication hypothesis is commonly put forward to explain the high prevalence of smoking in psychiatric patients. However, studies supporting have most often been carried out on chronic patients stabilized by antipsychotics. Aim: Given that antipsychotics tend erase symptoms, present study was undertaken acutely ill usually receiving no medications, or whom medications are ineffective. Methods: Participants were 492 consecutively hospitalized They evaluated day their hospitalization with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS, 18 items). Urinary cotinine and creatinine measured morning following hospitalization. urinary cotinine/creatinine ratio cotinine/creatinine/number cigarettes smoked per (nicotine extraction index) calculated for each patient. Results: positive symptoms subscale BPRS significantly correlated smoking, whereas other B...