New Study Unveils Troubling Link Between Smoking and Mental Health Risks
A recent study suggests smoking increases the risk of depression and other mental health disorders.
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A recent study reveals that smoking not only raises the risk of physical issues such as heart attacks and strokes but also heightens the likelihood of developing mental health disorders.
Published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, the research engaged 337,140 participants from the UK Biobank, indicating a direct relationship between smoking and mental health, possibly due to brain damage caused by nicotine.
Doug Speed, a member of the research team, noted that while smoking is not the sole cause of mental illnesses, it indeed increases the chance of being hospitalized for a mental disorder by 250%.
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The study also found that children of biological parents who smoke are significantly influenced in their decision to smoke.
Researchers claim that mental health problems may arise from brain damage caused by nicotine.
While the biological mechanism by which smoking leads to mental disorders is yet to be discovered, one theory suggests that nicotine inhibits the absorption of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, explained Speed. People with depression do not produce enough serotonin.
Oded Harush met with Dr. David Biton, an expert on smoking hazards, to discuss the hidden risks of electronic cigarettes:
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