Smoking may cause depression in teenagers
As well as causing respiratory problems, smoking cigarettes may lead to depression
in teenagers, according to a
report published in Pediatrics (2000;106(4):748-55).
The study followed 15 000
United States teenagers over a
year, and found that teenagers
whosmokedwere morethan twice
as likely to develop high depressive symptoms than those who
were non-smokers (10.5% v 4.8%).
The heaviest smokers seem
to be more at risk than those
who smoke only occasionally.
Twelve per cent of teenagers
who smoked at least one pack
of cigarettes a day reported
depressive symptoms after a
year. The study also found that
while sociodemographic factors, including age, gender,
household income, and
parental education, were not
significantly associated with a
progression to heavy smoking,
race was. White teens were
found more likely to become
moderate to heavy smokers
than other racial groups of the
same age.
Most importantly, the study
found that high depressive
symptoms were not an independent predictor of subsequent
smoking habits, and therefore
claims that depression is not a
cause of smoking initiation or
progression. The authors also
suggest in the study that the
development of depressive
symptoms in smokers may be
due to the effects of nicotine,
or another smoking byproduct,
on central noradrenergic receptor systems.
Amanda Sandford, research
manager for ASH (Action on
Smoking and Health), agreed
with the study authors on the
need for good advice being given to teenage smokers. "Despite
the fact that smokers perceive
the habit as pleasurable, smoking appears to have a depressive
effect," she commented in
response to the study. "Young
people who say they smoke to
relieve stress are deluding themselves. Smoking is not going to
help; on the contrary it is likely
to make them feel even more
anxious or depressed."
Siān Knight, Nottingham
studentBMJ 2000;08:395-434 November ISSN 0966-6494
