Researcher Highlights
Improving smoking cessation rates

Dr Kristen McCarter is improving the health of priority populations by finding ways to reduce preventable risk through healthy lifestyle interventions targeted at addressing tobacco smoking.

Kristen is committed to improving health by investigating the coexisting factors that contribute to long-term treatment outcomes, such as nutrition, psychological distress, smoking, and alcohol use.

One of Kristen’s primary research goals is to help people quit tobacco smoking—contributing to better health and treatment outcomes—especially among populations with smoking disparities such as those experiencing severe mental illness. Life expectancy in this group is nearly 20 years younger than the general population and is typically due to preventable risk factors such as smoking.

Quitlink

Kristen’s postdoctoral work trialled an NHMRC funded (CIA Amanda Baker) smoking cessation intervention for people living with severe mental illness, called Quitlink.

Peer workers with lived experience of mental ill-health and recover facilitated referral to a tailored 8-week Quitline intervention. Rather than multiple counsellors (standard practice), a dedicated Quitline counsellor delivered the intervention for each participant. Combination nicotine replacement therapy was also offered to participants.

The results (published in Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry) showed that after two months, smoking quit rates for people that received the intervention were significantly higher. “We also found that Quitlink instilled hope and confidence for future quit attempts. This work demonstrates that we can achieve smoking cessation in people living with severe mental illness.”

Bridging the gap

“One of the key parts of the intervention was demystifying Quitline for consumers and linking them straight to it”, says Kristen. “We used postcards mailed directly to consumers of mental health services telling them about the study. People really appreciated this direct offer of support”.

This direct-to-consumer model of care bridged the gap between mental health services and smoking cessation care.

Participants reported a high level of satisfaction, and a qualitative study led by Kristen (published in Frontiers in Psychiatry) found that the compassionate, non-judgemental, and accessible support offered by Quitline counsellors was highly valued.

Real world impact

The Quitlink intervention’s smoking component is used by Quitline Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and Northern Territory, who counsel over 30,000 people annually. Mind Services Australia are also translating the findings of the Quitlink intervention into their services.

Kristen is now leading the multidisciplinary team of experts from the Quitlink trial in a program of research that builds on this work by combining these previous findings, updated evidence, and meaningful consumer input.

She is keen to collaborate with services looking to trial this work.

“If people experiencing severe mental illness could change just one thing, quitting smoking offers by far the greatest health benefits” says Kristen.

“So, the more services that support these kinds of models of care, the better.”