Smoking and mental health: results from a community survey

Smoking is associated with poorer mental health according to a study in Australia. A study was carried out in Canberra to find the relationship of smoking to depression and anxiety symptoms and to depression risk factors. Physicians trying to help patients give up smoking should be aware that some of them may have underlying mental health problems that should be treated. Even when stressors, socioeconomic characteristics and other factors were allowed for statistically, the association between smoking and psychiatric symptoms could be seen in the study. Smokers did have more stressors and came from lower socioeconomic strata.