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. 2014 Sep;44(12):2523-35.
doi: 10.1017/S0033291713003206.

Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders

P A Cavazos-Rehg  1 , N Breslau  2 , D Hatsukami  3 , M J Krauss  1 , E L Spitznagel  4 , R A Grucza  1 , P Salyer  1 , S M Hartz  1 , L J Bierut  1
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Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders

P A Cavazos-Rehg et al. Psychol Med. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The psychological outcomes that accompany smoking cessation are not yet conclusive but positive outcomes could help to persuade quitting.

Method: We used data from the longitudinal National Epidemiological Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between cigarette smoking reduction and Wave 2 status of addiction/mental health disorder among daily smokers at Wave 1, stratified by status of the diagnosis of interest at Wave 1. We adjusted for differences in baseline covariates between smokers with different levels of smoking reduction between Wave 1 and Wave 2 using propensity score regression adjustment.

Results: After adjusting for propensity scores and other mental health/addiction co-morbidities at Wave 2, among daily smokers who had current or lifetime history diagnosis of the outcome of interest at Wave 1, quitting by Wave 2 predicted a decreased risk of mood/anxiety disorder [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-0.9] and alcohol disorder (aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.99) at Wave 2. Among daily smokers with no lifetime history diagnosis of the outcome of interest at Wave 1, quitting smoking by Wave 2 predicted a decreased risk of drug use disorder at Wave 2 (aOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9).

Conclusions: There is no support in our data for the concern that smoking cessation would result in smokers' increased risk of some mental disorders. To the contrary, our data suggest that smoking cessation is associated with risk reduction for mood/anxiety or alcohol use disorder, even among smokers who have had a pre-existing disorder.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of mood/anxiety disorder within the past 12 months at Wave 2, by smoking reduction from Wave 1 to Wave 2, stratified by status of mood/anxiety disorder at Wave 1. Circles represent prevalence estimates, and lines represent 95% confidence intervals.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of alcohol use disorder within the past 12 months at Wave 2, by smoking reduction from Wave 1 to Wave 2, stratified by status of alcohol abuse/dependence at Wave 1. Circles represent prevalence estimates, and lines represent 95% confidence intervals.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Prevalence of drug use disorder within the past 12 months at Wave 2, by smoking reduction from Wave 1 to Wave 2, stratified by status of drug use disorder at Wave 1. Circles represent prevalence estimates, and lines represent 95% confidence intervals.
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