London, June 8 (IANS) Passive smoking can bring on psychological distress and risk of psychiatric illness, says a new research.
The University College London research examined the links between mental health and second hand smoke exposure — known as passive smoking.
It measured the circulating biochemical marker cotinine, which is found in saliva and can be used to measure levels of exposure to tobacco smoke.
Mark Hamer of University College London’s Epidemiology & Public Health Department, who led the study said: ‘Second hand smoke exposure at home is growing in relative importance as restrictions on smoking in workplaces and public places spread.’
‘A growing body of literature has demonstrated the harmful physical effects of second hand smoke exposure, but there has been limited research about the effects on mental health,’ he said.
‘Animal data have suggested that tobacco may induce a negative mood, and some human studies have also identified a potential association between smoking and depression,’ Hamer said.
A representative sample of 5,560 non-smoking adults and 2,689 smokers without history of mental illness were drawn from the 1998 and 2003 Scottish Health Surveys.
In an analysis of the data, high second hand smoke exposure among non-smokers was associated with 50 percent higher odds of reporting psychological distress, in comparison with participants with cotinine levels below the limit of detection, said a University College London release.
Active smokers were also more likely to report psychological distress. The risk of future psychiatric illness was also related to high second hand smoke exposure and active smoking.
The research was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
