How quitting smoking affects mental health
Data from a randomized clinical trial provide additional support for quitting smoking.Researchers at Oxford University showed that quitting smoking can lead to better mental health outcomes in people with and without mental health problems. Long-term quitting the bad habit improves anxiety and depression scores.
Researchers used data from the large randomized clinical trial Evaluating Adverse Events in the Global Study on Smoking Cessation (EAGLES). It was conducted at 140 different centers in 16 countries. To assess the impact of smoking cessation on mental health, researchers used a sample of 4,260 study participants from the United States. All had quit smoking, and 55.4 percent had a history of diagnosed mental health problems.
Researchers examined how anxiety and depression changed 9 and 24 weeks after quitting cigarettes. Classical techniques for assessing these conditions were used. The analysis showed that both people with psychiatric disorders and the "healthy" group showed a steady decline in both measures.
Despite the desire to give up cigarettes, many smokers continue to smoke because they perceive smoking as a means to relieve stress, the study authors noted. The notion that cigarettes have a calming effect is widespread, and some health care providers may discourage people with mental health problems from trying to quit smoking for fear of complications.
"We used three statistical approaches to reduce confusion to provide more reliable data on the effects of smoking cessation on mental health. Smoking cessation will not make things worse, but it may improve mental health outcomes," Ming Gao, co-author of the study.