New treatment to help depressed smokers give up smoking

Smoking cessation is an uphill task and when somebody also has depression, it gets even more

difficult. To help depressed smokers give up smoking, researchers from the Northwestern

University have come up with a new intervention that is a combination of behavioral

activation and medication.

The findings, published in the journal Addiction in September 2016, explain why it was difficult

to manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms for depressed people and why it was next to

impossible for them to quit smoking. “We’ve used this new theory of withdrawal in depressed

smokers to develop the first targeted approach for smoking cessation in this underserved

population,” said the senior author of the study Brian Hitsman, an associate professor of

preventive medicine and psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Withdrawal symptoms more complicated in depressed people

Depressed smokers

have more nagging

withdrawal symptoms

compared to those

without depression.

They are most likely to

experience low moods,

impaired thinking or

memory, and problems

in engaging in

rewarding activities.

These symptoms are

common in all the

smokers but the

severity in case of those

who are depressed is higher. The depressed smokers also have fewer options to assuage these

symptoms, so the rate of relapse is also on the higher side.

The depressed smokers tend to have a false notion that smoking can help them get rid of their

foul moods, the researchers said. Though smoking brings a temporary relief, in the long run,

it worsens the mood of the smoker. “On the other hand, successfully quitting smoking is

associated with improvements in mental health,” said the lead author of the study Amanda

Mathew, a licensed clinical psychologist.

Depression can lead to cognitive impairment

Depressed smokers, who try to quit, always face adverse effects compared to non-depressed

smokers. They often experience low positive outcomes and high negative effects. The low

positive effects include less pleasure from rewarding activities, for instance, socializing or

partaking in any physical activity. The negative effects, on the other hand, are quite

prominent, including feelings of angst, anxiety, guilt or sadness. Another highly unwarranted

outcome is cognitive impairment, which prevents them from taking any practical step,

focusing or retention.

The researchers used a combination therapy - using FDA-approved drug Chantix and

“behavioral activation” which is a type of behavioral therapy. They are in the process of

studying whether combining these two can yield a positive outcome for the depressed

smokers in the near future. By now, they claim to have gathered sufficient empirical support

for their theory that is going to help treatment procedures in a big way.

Recovery road map

Depression is an impediment which prevents one from moving ahead in life. Depressed

people are more susceptible to abusing addictive substances that can further complicate their

condition.

If you have someone who is depressed and is grappling with an addiction, reach out to the

Recover Mental Health to know about residential rehab centers in your vicinity. Call at our

24/7 helpline number 866-593-2339 for a quick response. One should not delay the treatment

or it can worsen the symptoms and things can get out of hand. Whether it is residential drug

rehab centers or any other rehab, our experts have the best advice in treatment options.

The Recover Mental Health is a resource center dedicated to providing information on

everything related to mental health and substance abuse. With over 21,000 listings in our

directory, we provide quick and easy access to treatment centers across the United States

and its territories as well as Canada.

For more information, please visit: recovermentalhealth.com