Sex differences in the effects of stressful life events on changes in smoking status

Abstract

Overall, stressful life events appear to have a greater deleterious effect on continued abstinence and the ability to quit smoking for women when compared to men. In particular, health and financial events are important risk factors for women and tobacco use.

Factors associated with smoking cessation in Brazil

“…The fact that less healthy individuals show higher quit rates 30 can be explained by the fact that they are more aware of the harm from cigarettes and also receive closer medical follow-up, and thus receive more cessation counseling aimed at improving their health status. In addition, persons with cancer or heart disease that continue to smoke are subject to greater risk of death 31,32,33 .…”

Effects of the CRF receptor antagonist d-Phe CRF(12–41) and the α2-adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine on stress-induced reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behavior in rats

“…After the acute withdrawal phase (i.e., protracted withdrawal), exposure to stressors greatly increases the likelihood of relapse to tobacco smoking (Cohen and Lichtenstein 1990;Doherty et al 1995;Kassel et al 2003;McKee et al 2003;Niaura et al 2002;Shiffman and Waters 2004;Swan et al 1988). Patients with psychiatric disorders such as major depression and generalized anxiety are twice as likely to smoke cigarettes than healthy controls; an increased vulnerability to stressors could possibly contribute to the high relapse rates in this group of patients (Lasser et al 2000).…”

Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers: Research achievements and future implications

“…Although more men smoke, women are less likely than men to quit smoking ( Schnoll et al, 2007 ). Yale research has identifi ed sex differences that might explain this fi nding as follows: (a) the association between depression, alcohol, and drug use disorders and smoking is stronger in women ( Husky, Paliwal, Mazure, & McKee, 2007, 2008; (b) women report higher perceived risks of cessation, and the perception of risk is associated with lower motivation and poorer treatment outcome ( McKee, O'Malley, Salovey, Krishnan-Sarin, & Mazure, 2005 ); and (c) stressful life events contribute more to smoking relapse in women than in men ( McKee, Maciejewski, Falba, & Mazure, 2003 ). Nonsmoking women and men, however, do not differ in the availability of b 2-nAChRs implicated in nicotine reinforcement ( Cosgrove et al, 2007 ), as measured using a SPECT radiotracer developed in part through the TTURC ( Staley et al, 2005 ).…”