Depression Linked to Tendency to Smoke
A new government report indicates that people struggling with depression are more likely to smoke heavily than those who are not suffering from depression, according to a feature on Medical News Today. The report was published on April 14 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2005 – 2008.
Depression, however, does not cause smoking; neither is it the other way around. But what it does show is that there is a link between smoking and depression, especially among people aged 20 and older in the United States.
The key findings in the report include the fact that 43 percent of adults who had depression were smokers as opposed to 22 percent who were not suffering from depression. Adults who are suffering from depression, even if experiencing only mild symptoms, are more likely to start smoking than those who are not. Conversely, among those who would like to quit smoking, smokers who are not suffering from depression are more likely to be successful at their attempts to quit compared to those who were suffering from depression.
The percentage of smokers is also found to be directly proportional to the severity of depression being experienced, as the percentage went up as the severity increased. There are also more smokers who are also suffering from depression who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day, compared to those who do not have depression.
Hence, the report concluded that there is a need to create special smoking cessation programs to help smokers suffering from depression to kick the habit.
Tags: Depression, depression smoking, nicotine abuse, smoking
