Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between adolescent smoking and adult depression. An article published in Medical News Today February 1, 2009, “Possible Link Between Teen Smoking And Adult Depression,” examines this issue. The findings of this research were published in 2009 online in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, The researchers “……injected adolescent rats twice daily with either nicotine or saline for 15 days. After the treatment period ended, they subjected the rats to several experiments designed to find out how they would react to stressful situations as well as how they would respond to the offering of rewards.” And the results? The researchers found, “…that behavioral changes symptomatic of depression can emerge after one week of nicotine cessation and -- most surprising -- that even a single day of nicotine exposure during adolescence can have long-lasting effects….the rats who were exposed to nicotine engaged in behaviors symptomatic of depression and anxiety, including repetitive grooming, decreased consumption of rewards offered in the form of sugary drinks and becoming immobile in stressful situations instead of engaging in typical escape-like behaviors. The researchers were able to alleviate the rats' symptoms with antidepressant drugs or, ironically, more nicotine.” The researchers conclude, “…..Scientists have long known there is a connection between smoking and mood disorders, but they have not been able to say for sure that one causes the other because there are so many factors influencing human behavior. This study provides support for the idea that smoking can induce symptoms of depression, and paradoxically, can also be a way of managing those same symptoms and enhancing the risk for addiction….The message to young people of course is don't smoke and don't even try it….If they do smoke, they need to be aware of the potentially long-term effects that recreational or even occasional cigarette smoking can have on their systems."
The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that adolescent smoking may lead to adult depression.
Reference: Original article
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