Action on Smoking and Health A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions    Search  | Info About  | ash.org| To Join |  Email Page

Excerpts from: Study links teen smoking to symptoms of depression

Eurealert [10/02/00]

     It's commonly thought that teen depression can lead to cigarette smoking, but a new study, published in the
     October edition of Pediatrics, shows it's the smoking that increases the risk of depression.

     "Cigarette use is a powerful determinant of developing high depressive symptoms," says Elizabeth Goodman,
     M.D., associate professor of pediatrics in the division of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital Medical
     Center of Cincinnati and lead author of the study. "In fact, nondepressed teens who smoke face approximately a
     four times greater risk of developing depression than non-smoking teens."

     Smoking's effect on the development of depression may be attributable to central nervous system effects of
     nicotine or other smoking by-products, according to Dr. Goodman. "The effectiveness of antidepressants in
     smoking cessation, independent of previous or current depression, provide additional support for this view," she
     says.

     While heavy cigarette use is not necessarily a result of depression, Dr. Goodman's study shows that other social
     factors do predict progression to heavy smoking. These include previous experimentation with tobacco products,
     poor school performance, peer tobacco use, more frequent use of alcohol, and parental report of bad temper.

     For healthcare providers, the study highlights the importance of providing "anticipatory guidance" regarding
     psychosocial functioning and tobacco use to teenagers, according to Dr. Goodman, and of encouraging
     adolescents to stop smoking. "The findings of this study suggest that problem behavior, physical dependence, and
     social influence all impact on the progression to heavy smoking in adolescents," she says.