The effect of successful and unsuccessful smoking cessation on short-term anxiety, depression, and suicidality.

ABSTRACT: Research on the mental health effects of quitting smoking is limited. Smokers with mental illness appear to be at a higher risk of unsuccessful smoking cessation. Recent work suggests they are at elevated risk for post-cessation increases in anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. The current study tested the effects of successful and unsuccessful smoking cessation on short-term psychopathology in 192 community participants. Smoking cessation outcomes were classified using expired carbon monoxide levels that were taken at quit week, 1 and 2 week follow-up and 1 month follow-up. We found no psychopathology increases in participants who successfully quit smoking. For individuals struggling to quit our results partially supported a recently proposed struggling quitters hypothesis. However,

SUBMITTER: Capron DW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3977564 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature