HomeLifestyleQuitting smoking can improve mental health, new study finds - UnlistedNews

Quitting smoking can improve mental health, new study finds – UnlistedNews

A new study highlights how abstinence from smoking can improve mental health among people with and without mental health disorders.



Smoking is the world’s leading cause of preventable disease and death, and about half of all smokers die from a smoking-related disease, according to Oxford University. Now a new study has found evidence that quitting smoking can lead to better mental health among people with and without mental health disorders.

This study was led by a team of researchers from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford and published in JAMA Open Network. The findings showed that abstinence from smoking between weeks nine and 24 is associated with significant improvements in anxiety and depression scores, according to a statement from the University of Oxford.

For the study, the researchers used data from a large randomized clinical trial that was conducted at 140 centers in 16 countries between 2011 and 2015. However, only data from US participants was used for this secondary analysis. Of the 4,260 participants included in the study, 55.4% had a history of mental illness.

“While we are seeing a large decline in smoking rates over the years in the UK for the general population, this is not the case for people living with mental health problems,” said Angela Wu, author Principal and Investigator at Nuffield Primary Care Health Department. Sciences, Oxford University said in the statement. Wu further added that the number of people who smoke who also have a mental health condition has remained the same since 1993 (about 40%). The researchers hope their findings can help motivate policymakers and stakeholders to better support smoking cessation in people with mental health conditions.

Commenting on the mental health aspect, co-author Paul Aveyard, professor of behavioral medicine in Nuffield’s Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said in the statement: “While smoking provides short-term benefit, smoking in itself is the cause of the problems. . Without smoking, mental health improves on average. Our study joins others showing that when people quit smoking their mental health improves, while those who don’t quit don’t.”

There are alternatives and options to help people quit smoking, such as counseling, nicotine replacement therapy (for example, patches, gums, and sprays), and even e-cigarettes.

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Sara Marcus
Sara Marcushttps://unlistednews.com
Meet Sara Marcus, our newest addition to the Unlisted News team! Sara is a talented author and cultural critic, whose work has appeared in a variety of publications. Sara's writing style is characterized by its incisiveness and thought-provoking nature, and her insightful commentary on music, politics, and social justice is sure to captivate our readers. We are thrilled to have her join our team and look forward to sharing her work with our readers.
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