While medical professionals are used to treating depression, anxiety or substance abuse problems first in mentally ill smokers, a study by the Washington School of Medicine in St Louis, USA States, emphasizes the link between smoking and mental health.
A team of researchers led by Professor Patricia Cavazos-Rehg analyzed the results of questionnaires collected as part of the National Epidemiological Study on Alcohol and Alcohol-Related Conditions. In the early 2000s, approximately 35,000 people were asked about alcohol, smoking and their mental health in two interviews conducted three years apart. The authors of the study, which was published by the journal Psychological medicine, focused on data from 4,800 smokers, reports the site MedicalXpress.
People with substance abuse or mental health problems when first interviewed were less likely to experience the same problems three years later if they had quit smoking.
Dealing with problems
“We don’t know if it’s the improvement in patients’ mental health that motivates them to quit smoking or if it’s quitting smoking that leads to an improvement in their mental health. But either way , our results prove the existence of a close link between quitting smoking and better psychiatric outlook”, explains Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, quoted by Medical Xpress.
The researcher also points out that the harmful effects of cigarettes on the body represent an additional reason for pushing patients to stop smoking. “We really need to encourage doctors and patients to deal with these issues. When a patient is ready to focus on something other than their mental health, it is also the perfect time to bring up the subject of the smoking cessation“, she concludes.