Quitting smoking helps to have a more optimistic outlook on life

If they quit smoking, heavy and moderate smokers will experience significant improvements in their mental state.

The above conclusion was made by British scientists in a study on the mental health of smokers, published in the British Medical Journal on February 13.

Photo is for illustration purposes only. (Source: sri.com)

In the study, scientists assessed the mental health of smokers based on standardized questionnaires of anxiety, depression, and quality of life, using responses from volunteers.

The smokers in the study were 44 years old on average and smoked between 10 and 40 cigarettes a day. They were asked questions before and after trying to quit, usually six months later.

As a result, people who quit smoking had reduced anxiety, depression, and had a more optimistic outlook on life than those who continued to smoke.

According to the results of the above study, the effectiveness of quitting smoking is equivalent to, or even greater than, that of patients who have to take antidepressants to treat mental disorders. Those who quit smoking and were previously diagnosed with mental disorders all had mental improvements.

The study's lead author, Gemma Taylor from the School of Health and Population Sciences at the University of Birmingham in the UK, said that when you quit smoking and break the cycle of nicotine addiction, your mental health will improve.

Ms Taylor hopes that the results of this study may dispel a common misconception about smoking. That is, smoking is good for your nerves because it reduces depression, helps you relax and enjoy yourself.

For smokers, the calm or euphoric feeling after smoking is often followed by classic signs of depression and anxiety. However, smokers often misunderstand these symptoms and blame them on depression and other factors.

In addition, because nicotine in cigarettes also has a calming effect, smokers believe that cigarettes are good for their mental health.

Smoking causes many diseases such as cancer, blindness, heart disease, diabetes, gum disease and impotence.

According to the World Health Organization's estimate in July 2013, each year around the world about 6 million people die from tobacco and this number could increase to 8 million by 2030./.

According to VNA