Healthcare professionals’ experiences of supporting pregnant women with mental illness with their smoking behaviors: a qualitative study

Barriers to effective smoking cessation support included prioritising mental illness over smoking cessation advice and a pessimistic view that pregnant women with mental illness would struggle to quit smoking. Facilitators included full integration of services and adapting to women's needs by offering flexible timing and delivery of smoking cessation support.ImplicationsThis study shows multiple areas which may be impacting on the effectiveness of smoking cessation support available to pregnant women with mental illness. Future research could address some of the barriers identified in the study including prioritising mental health over smoking cessation, addressing health professionals' beliefs that pregnant women with mental illness are unlikely to quit smoking, training on communicating harms of smoking and improving knowledge on effect of smoking on mental health. Future research could also focus on sharing good practice including appointment flexibility and full integration of smoking cessation services within maternity and perinatal mental health services.