- Smoking is a common social practice that increases the risk of several health problems.
- Data from a recent study suggest that people who smoke are at a much greater risk for hospitalizations due to mental illness.
- Certain genetics may contribute to the risk of smoking intensity and mental illness hospitalizations.
- The results indicate that helping individuals quit smoking may help to decrease severe mental illness.
Smoking is common in many societies, but growing evidence continues to demonstrate the potential dangers of the practice. One area of interest is the relationship between mental illness and smoking.
A​ study published in
Based on the timing of smoking initiation and the onset of mental illness hospitalization, it may be helpful to focus on smoking prevention and early quitting to help reduce hospitalizations from mental illness.
Researchers of this study utilized data from the UK Biobank, collected from over 330,000 participants. They calculated participants’
These scores helped measure someone’s genetic likelihood of developing certain smoking habits and mental illness.
Researchers found that participants were more likely to have started smoking before hospitalization for mental illness.
Their analysis further supported that the risk for hospitalization from mental illness was highest for current smokers and lowest for people who had never smoked.
The risk was moderately higher for people who had previously smoked than those who had never smoked.
The study authors summarize critical points of their findings thus:
“Genetic liability for smoking intensity has a crossover effect on hospitalization for major depression, bipolar disorder, and…
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