Smoking and Mental Health

According to new research, the chance of developing psychosis is more than tripled in those who smoke. At first, scientists believed that people with psychosis are just more likely to smoke as a way to relieve stress, etc., but now some researchers believe that something in tobacco could actually be causing psychosis. They point out that while they have not determined the direct cause, the results of the study indicate that smoking should not be considered as only a consequence of psychosis, but should be considered a possible risk factor as well.

The data from 61 studies that involved 15,000 smokers and 273,000 non-smokers has been analyzed. Fifty-seven percent of people treated due to their first episode of psychosis were smokers. The chance was three times greater that patients with mental illness were smokers compared to those without significant mental illness. It was also shown in the study that people who smoked every day began to develop psychotic symptoms about one year sooner than those who did not smoke.


Smoking may cause mental illness: study. Illawarra Mercury (Australia), Retrieved from www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic

 

Some of my cousins are smokers, but luckily am not. Not smoking is a personal decision which I took several years ago. However, because of my relationship with these cousin smokers of mine, I have attracted much suspicion of being a smoker. Sometimes, while hanging out with them, they just start smoking and invite me to join, but I've declined always.

I think, I've got to show them information from these researches, who knows, they may change their smoking habits. I personally resent smoking and wish nobody a smoker.