Quitting smoking can lessen anxiety

Published Date 01/07/2013

Written by Antonietta Petrella 

Successfully quitting smoking can help reduce feelings of anxiety, according to a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. This is contrary to the popular belief that smoking eases feelings of stress and anxiety, and quitting smoking will make you agitated and more anxious.

A team of researchers from Oxford University, Cambridge University and Kings College London conducted a study that included 491 smokers who were attending National Health Service (NHS) clinics for smoking cessation.

Before the start of the program, all participants were assessed for anxiety levels and asked why they smoke- for pleasure, to cope, or both reasons equally. The study included 106 people who had been diagnosed with some form of mental illness, primarily anxiety and mood disorders.

Participants were provided nicotine patches and attended weekly appointments. After six months, 68 of the participants managed
to stay smoke-free, including ten who had a psychiatric illness.

Compared to those who did not quit smoking, participants who quit successfully showed a great drop in anxiety levels, seen especially in those who used to smoke to cope with anxiety.

"The belief that smoking is stress relieving is pervasive, but almost certainly wrong” the researchers wrote. “The reverse is true: smoking is probably anxiogenic (causes anxiety) and smokers deserve to know this and understand how their own experience may be misleading."

Researchers also noticed that in the participants who did not quit and started smoking again, those who smoked to cope with anxiety and those with a mental illness showed an increase in anxiety levels.

"There is no obvious causal mechanism other than those who relapse feeling concern arising from the continuing health risks of their smoking” said authors.

“Clinicians should reassure patients that stopping smoking is beneficial for their mental health, but they may need to monitor for clinically relevant increases in anxiety among people who fail to attain abstinence."

 
Source: Medical News Today

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