Depression, anxiety, and smoking initiation: A prospective study over 3 years

Abstract

Objectives. This report considers the extent to which depression and anxiety predict smoking onset in adolescence. Methods. A 6-wave cohort design was used to study a sample of 14- and 15-year-old students (n = 2032) drawn from 44 secondary schools in the state of Victoria, Australia. The students were surveyed between 1992 and 1995 with a computerized questionnaire that included a 7-day retrospective diary for tobacco use and a structured psychiatric interview. Results. Experimental smokers were 29 times more likely than nonsmokers to make a transition into daily use in the subsequent 6 months. Depression and anxiety, along with peer smoking, predicted initiation of experimental smoking. Sp..