Smoking and depression among psychiatric patients

The present study examined the relationship between smoking and depression among patients with different psychiatric diagnoses according to DSM-III-R criteria. The study sample of 1217 consecutive in- and outpatients, treated at the Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, in eastern Fi nland, was interviewed with two sets of questions during May 1993. The prev alence of smoking was higher among severely depressive than among mildly or moderately depressive patients in all diagnostic categories, except in mal e schizophrenics. However, this difference in rate of smoking was statistic ally significant only among men with major depression and women with person ality disorder. The best determinants of severe depression in a multiple lo gistic model were diagnosis of major depression, personality disorder, and dysthymia. According to the model, current smokers had a 40% higher risk of severe depression than nonsmokers. Because both smoking and depression are major public health problems, the observed association deserves more thoro ugh research, especially by psychiatric specialists.