Friday, August 27, 2010
While some teenagers may puff on cigarettes to 'self-medicate'
against the blues, scientists at the University of Toronto and the
University of Montreal have found that smoking may actually
increase depressive symptoms in some adolescents. Published in the
journal Addictive
Behaviors, the findings are part of the long-term Nicotine
Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study based at the University of
Montreal Hospital Research Centre.
"This observational study is one of the few to examine the
perceived emotional benefits of smoking among adolescents," says
lead author Michael Chaiton, a research associate at the Ontario
Tobacco Research Unit of the University of Toronto. "Although
cigarettes may appear to have self-medicating effects or to improve
mood, in the long term we found teens who started to smoke reported
higher depressive symptoms."
As part of the study, some 662 high school teenagers completed up
to 20 questionnaires from grades 7 to 11 about their use of
cigarettes to affect mood. Secondary schools were selected to
provide a mix of French and English participants, urban and rural
schools, and schools located in high, moderate and low
socioeconomic neighbourhoods.
Participants were divided into three groups: never smokers; smokers
who did not use cigarettes to self-medicate, improve mood or
physical state; smokers who used cigarettes to self-medicate.
Depressive symptoms were measured using a scale that asked how
often participants felt too tired to do things; had trouble going
to sleep or staying asleep; felt unhappy, sad, or depressed; felt
hopeless about the future; felt nervous or tense; and worried too
much about things.
"Smokers who used cigarettes as mood enhancers had higher risks of
elevated depressive symptoms than teens who had never smoked," says
coauthor Jennifer O'Loughlin, a professor at the University of
Montreal Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and scientist
at the of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre. "Our
study found that adolescent smokers who reported emotional benefits
from smoking are at higher risk of developing depressive
symptoms."
The association between depression and smoking exists principally
among teens that use cigarettes to feel better. "It's important to
emphasize that depressive symptom scores were higher among
teenagers who reported emotional benefits from smoking after they
began to smoke," says Dr. Chaiton.
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Thanks to University of Montreal for this article.