Smoking has always been claimed to be dangerous for the health, a new research has shown its diverse affects on the mental health of teens.
It has been reported that smoking increases depressive symptoms in teens especially in those who thinks that their smoking habit will change their mood.
The study was carried on a group of 662 Canadian students who were studying between grades 7 to 11. The students were provided with almost 20 questionnaires regarding their habit of smoking.
The depressive symptoms in those teens were measured using a scale that asked, how often they: felt lethargic; had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep; had a sad or depressed mood; felt hopeless about the future; experienced nervousness or tension; and felt excessively worried about things.
The results of this study got published online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors. According to the co-author Jennifer O’Loughlin, a professor in the social and preventive medicine department at the University of Montreal and a scientist at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre “Smokers who used cigarettes as mood enhancers had higher risks of elevated depressive symptoms than teens who had never smoked”.