2008 Volume vol.2 Issue 04 Pages 4-8
Abstract
Depression is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. However, impact of latent depressive state on the achievement of smoking cessation is unknown. We performed a self-rating depression scale (SDS) test involving 65 consecutive patients who visited a smoking cessation clinic for the first time. Patients with previously diagnosed psychiatric disorders were excluded. The depressive state was evaluated according to the SDS score as normal (SDS score: 38 or lower, n=29), normal/neurosis borderline (SDS score: 39-47, n=17), and neurosis/depression (SDS: 48 or higher, n=19). The smoking cessation rate was markedly low in the normal/neurosis borderline group (35.3%, P=0.030 vs. normal) as well as the neurosis/depression group (21.1 %, P=0.002 vs. normal), compared with the normal group (69.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that among various variables on the initial consultation, the SDS score was the only independent determinant of smoking cessation failure (P=0.032, OR: 0.927, CI: 0.866-0.993). These findings suggest that even a latent depressive state greatly affects the achievement of smoking cession in Japanese patients.