(June 7, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

Smoking or being exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke may increase your risk for developing a psychiatric illness, according to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Here are some reasons not to smoke when you’re feeling stressed:

•    Any relief you feel from stress as a result of smoking is very short-lived

•    Research suggests that smoking may actually cause more stress in the long term

•    Smoking will not solve your problems but will damage your health

Researchers from University College London studied over 2,500 adult smokers and 5,500 adult non-smokers during a follow-up period of six years. At the outset of the study, none of the participants had any history of mental illness, but they were followed for signs of psychological distress or admission to a psychiatric hospital. Levels of exposure to secondhand smoke were assessed in non-smokers by testing the concentration of a metabolite of nicotine known as cotinine in the saliva.

During the follow-up period, 14.5% of participants reported experiencing psychological distress, and this occurred more frequently among non-smokers with a high degree of exposure to secondhand smoke, compared with nonsmokers who had no exposure. In addition, 41 individuals were admitted to hospital for psychiatric problems that included depression, schizophrenia, or delirium. This was more likely to happen to smokers and non-smokers with a high exposure to secondhand smoke.

Today’s research is among the first of its kind to link tobacco exposure with negative psychological states in humans.