Objective:To estimate the degree of tobacco addiction and identify independently associated
factors by comparing the psychiatric population of secondary and tertiary care
with the general population of the primary healthcare network. Method:This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study, conducted in a municipality of
São Paulo, with 134 smokers of a Mental Health Outpatient Unit (MHOU), a
Psychiatric Hospital (PH), and a Primary Healthcare Unit (PHU). Data were
collected by means of individual interviews, recorded on a mobile device. Data
were statistically processed using Stata/12 Results:Of the 134 participants, 54.5% were women. While 49.1% of the psychiatric
population (MHOU/PH) had medium/high nicotine addiction, 58.3% of smokers of the
general population had very low/low dependency. The Poisson regression model
indicated a higher prevalence of smokers with high dependence among men (PR =
1.41), people aged 49 years or less (15 - 29 years, PR = 4.06, 30 - 39 PR = 2.96
years, 40 - 49 years PR = 1.84), with severe mental disorders (PR = 3.05), with
anxiety disorders/other (PR = 3.98), and with high suicide risk (PR = 1.55). Conclusion:Nicotine dependence was greater in the psychiatric population than in the general
population. The independent factors associated with severe dependence were sex,
age group, diagnosis, and current risk of suicide. These results trigger
reflection among nurses on the need to focus more attention on a neglected subject
in mental health services.