Abstract
In the literature, evidence has been conflicting on whether depressed patients are less likely to quit smoking than their euthymic counterparts. Based on observation in a respiratory ward in a University Hospital, it was noted that smokers admitted with exacerbations of COPD seemed to have a higher prevalence of depression, and higher risk of living alone than ex-smokers admitted for the same reason.
To assess the significance of this observation, a retrospective audit of 213 patients over 7 months looked at smoking status, depression and living arrangements. Electronic discharge records were viewed to identify patients who had been admitted with exacerbations of COPD, and who continued to smoke, had depression or lived alone.
148/213 admissions (69%) were ex-smokers. Out of this group 26 were depressed (17%), close to the population average for depression. Significantly more smokers were suffering from depression (p<0.05), with 21 out of 65 smokers identified as having depression (32%). There was no significant association between smoking status and living alone, with 29/65 smokers (44%) and 58/148 ex-smokers (40%) living alone. All smokers received verbal smoking cessation advice, but there was a self-reported quit rate of only 11% at 2 month follow up. Depression status and living alone did not affect this.
These results demonstrate an increased likelihood of smoking in depressed patients, and this may mean that depressed patients require more intensive smoking cessation programmes to achieve similar results to their euthymic peers. Living alone does not appear to affect likelihood of smoking cessation.
- © 2014 ERS
