Depression and smoking: examining correlates in a subset of depressed patients

The objective of this study was to examine for associations between depression and cigarette smoking.

A sample of 92 depressed smokers was compared with a control sample of depressed non-smokers, matched for age, gender and diagnostic variables. Comparisons were made across a range of demographic, depression, family history, developmental factors, anxiety and personality style variables, as well as use of alcohol and illicit drugs.

We failed to find any difference between smokers and non-smokers in history or severity of depression. Cigarette smokers were distinguished principally by greater exposure to aversive experiences in childhood, disordered personality function, greater use of illicit drugs, anxiolytics and alcohol. Logistic regression identified dysfunctional personality 'domains', physical violence in childhood, long-term anxiolytic use and illicit drug use as the most significant predictor set.

Results favour a model of cigarette smoking and depression as linked by shared early deprivational variables, rather than cigarette smoking causing depression or the converse.