Abstract
Habitual cigarette smoking and a depressive state are independent risk factors for cardiovascular events, and may synergistically increase the risk. As the first step to solve these problems, we investigated the depressive state of cigarette smokers. In 30 patients with no previous diagnosis of mental disorder who visited a smoking cessation clinic for the first time (26 males and 4 females, mean age: 61 years), a self-rating1 depression scale (SDS) test was performed. The SDS score was higher than. 53 points in one patient (depression) between 48 and 52 points in 7 (23%, neurosis)； and between 39 and 47 points in 9 (30%, a borderline normal/neurotic state). The SDS score was not significantly correlated with the Brinkman Index (number of cigarettes smoked/day x years), age at the time of starting smoking, index of nicotine dependence (FTND, or TDS score), but significantly higher in patients with a low level of confidence (%) regarding smoking cessation (r=-0.396, p=0.0327). These findings demonstrate a relatively high incidence of a depressive state in smoking patients, despite their not being diagnosed with depression. This fact might be involved in the interference with smoking cessation.
