Smoking Behaviour and Mental Health Disorders—Mutual Influences and Implications for Therapy

Abstract

Tobacco use is strongly associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to meet current criteria for mental health conditions, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders and psychosis. Evidence also suggest that smokers with psychiatric disorders may have more difficulty quitting, offering at least a partial explanation for why smoking rates are higher in this population. The mechanisms linking mental health conditions and cigarette smoking are complex and likely differ across each of the various disorders. The most commonly held view is that patients with mental health conditions smoke in an effort to regulate the symptoms associated with their disorder. However some recent evidence suggests that quitting smoking may actually improve mental health symptoms. This is particularly true if the tobacco cessation intervention is integrated into the context of ongoing mental health treatment. In this paper we reviewed and summarized the most relevant knowledge about the relationship between tobacco use and dependence and psychiatric disorders. We also reviewed the most effective smoking cessation strategies available for patients with psychiatric comorbidity and the impact of smoking behavior on psychiatric medication.

Characterizing use patterns and perceptions of relative harm in dual users of electronic and tobacco cigarettes.

“…Most had never been married (53%) and 83% had completed at least some college. Although most participants (57%) reported never having received a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder, 20% and 23% reported a diagnosis of one or multiple disorders in their lifetime, respectively; these rates are consistent with past research on psychiatric diagnosis rates in smokers (Lawrence, Mitrou, & Zubrick, 2009; Minichino et al, 2013). …”

Childhood trauma and factors associated with depression among inpatients with cardiovascular disease

“…Nicotine dependence is more prevalent in individuals with depression, possibly because these subjects are less prone to engage in smoking cessation programs[9] and tend to use nicotine to alleviate anxiety and dysphoria[39]. As other risk factors for CVD, cigarette use has been associated with damage of the arterial wall.…”

Exposure to secondhand smoke in the home and mental health in children: a population-based study

“…The latter is a potential confounder since it is associated with parental tobacco consumption17 and, thus, a greater SHS exposure in the home, and because it is also associated with the child's mental health 15 16 18. Additionally, parents with poorer mental health may have a more negative interpretation of their children's mental health 10.…”