Smokers More Likely to Be Stressed, Depressed

Poll finds 26% of smokers have battled depression
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 28, 2013 12:03 PM CDT
Smokers More Likely to Be Stressed, Depressed
   (Shutterstock)

You already know smoking is bad for your body, but a new survey finds it may be tough on your mental health, too. According to the Gallup poll, 26% of smokers suffer from clinical depression compared with just 15% of nonsmokers. Researchers interviewed more than 83,000 Americans to determine what sorts of emotions—ranging from happiness to worry and anger—they felt "during a lot of the day yesterday." Another finding: Half of smokers said they felt stressed compared with 37% of nonsmokers.

Smokers—who make up 19.1% of Americans—also reported feeling worried, angry, and sad more often than those without the habit, though the study couldn't determine whether experiencing those emotions led people to smoke or came as a side effect of smoking. On the flip side, nonsmokers were more likely to report feeling positive emotions, being treated with respect, or having learned something new the day prior. For all the figures, see the full study. (More smoking stories.)

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