Psychological Distress Drives Women to Smoke: Study

Disturbed women are more likely to smoke cigarettes and use tobacco based products than men, according to a study.

Individuals suffering from emotional and psychological distress turn to alcohol and mind-alerting substances to cope with depression and stress. Experts from the Center for Tobacco Studies at the Rutgers School of Public Health (RSPH) found a significant proportion of individuals with mental illnesses in the U.S. smoke cigarettes. The overall cigarette and tobacco use accounts for nearly 44.3 percent in the country and this behavior is more common in women than men.

The study, led by Mary Hrywna from the RSPH, examined data of 26,907 adults from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and surveyed participants about their tobacco smoking habit and use of related products. The subjects' mental status, episodes of psychological distress and feeling of hopelessness and anxiety experienced in the last 30 days was recorded.

It was observed that even though smoking cigars and use of smokeless tobacco are typical male behaviors, its consumption was high among women with chronic emotional and mental discomfort. These findings urge current smoking cessation programs to screen for mental health before treating people with smoking addiction.

"Overall, 3.3 percent of adult participants in the U.S were found to have severe psychological distress in the preceding month," write the authors citing depression, anxiety disorders and other psychological trauma as factors that induce heavy smoking behavior in adults.

Past clinical trials suggest women are less likely to completely stop their smoking addiction compared to men. The marketing and sales strategies of these products mostly target women as potential consumers thereby contributing to increased use, believe the authors.

More information is available online in the American Journal of Health Behavior.