Social outreach / Summary Titel: Barriers and facilitators of a smoke(-free) policy in Flemish psychiatric hospitals: a qualitative study Currently, psychiatric hospitals in Europe and more specifically in Flanders fail to implement smoke-free policies as in hospitals. Psychiatric patients are already a population known for their mental and physical vulnerabilities. This group has a mortality and morbidity rate twice as high as the general population. Their mental and physical health is influenced by patients' smoking behaviour. Flemish psychiatric hospitals often have no clear or limited smoking policy and do not see the need to introduce a smoke-free policy. Following this, psychiatric hospitals are often described as places with a smoking culture. This study focused on the barriers and facilitators raised by department heads, staff members and management regarding the introduction of smoke-free policies. The key obstacles found were related to organisational culture and habits of employees. Key facilitators were related to health and economic benefits for the patient. Further investments in implementing an effective smoke-free policy can have an impact on the health of patients with mental illness. Student: Tomas Borny Promotor: Kaat De Pourcq