Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Nicotine dependence and incident psychiatric disorders: prospective evidence from US national study

Abstract

We examined the prospective associations between nicotine dependence and the likelihood of psychiatric and substance use disorders in the general adult population. Participants came from a nationally representative sample of US adults aged 18 years or older, who were interviewed 3 years apart in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (Wave 1, 2001–2002; Wave 2, 2004–2005). The primary analyses were limited to 32,671 respondents (13,751 male (47.9% weighted); mean age of 45 years (SD = 0.18)) who were interviewed in both waves. We used multiple regression and propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the strength of independent associations between nicotine dependence related to the use of tobacco products at Wave 1 and incident psychiatric disorders at Wave 2. Psychiatric disorders were measured with a structured interview (Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-DSM-IV). All analyses adjusted for multiple potential confounders, including childhood (family history of substance use disorders, parental loss, vulnerable family environment), early-adolescence (self-esteem, social deviance, conduct disorder), late-adolescence (education, personality and psychiatric disorders), adulthood (divorce, stressful life events, social deviance, quality of life, history of alcohol or other substance use disorder), and sociodemographic factors. Multiple regression analysis and PSM converged in indicating that nicotine dependence was associated with significantly increased incidence of any psychiatric disorder (OR = 1.39(95%CI:1.20;1.60)), including substance use disorders (OR = 1.91(95%CI:1.47;2.47)), and anxiety disorders (OR = 1.31(95%CI:1.06;1.62)). Population Attributable Risk Proportions were substantial, ranging from 12.5%(95%CI:8.10;17.0) for any psychiatric disorder to 33.3%(95%CI:18.7;48.0) for any other drug use disorder. Supplementary analyses also indicated significant associations between nicotine dependence and persistence of psychiatric and substance use disorders among patients having a disorder at Wave 1. In the general adult population, nicotine dependence is associated with an increased likelihood for several psychiatric and substance use disorders. Given its high prevalence, these findings have important public health implications.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions was sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and funded, in part, by the Intramural Program, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health. The original dataset for the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) is available upon request from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov).

References

  1. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the surgeon general. US: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2014.

  2. Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Wang TW, Jamal A, Homa DM. Tobacco product use among adults—United States, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:397–405.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Grant BF, Shmulewitz D, Compton WM. Nicotine use and DSM-IV nicotine dependence in the United States, 2001–2002 and 2012–2013. Am J Psychiatry. 2020;177:1082–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Grant BF, Hasin DS, Chou SP, Stinson FS, Dawson DA. Nicotine dependence and psychiatric disorders in the United States: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004;61:1107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Dierker L, Donny E. The role of psychiatric disorders in the relationship between cigarette smoking and DSM-IV nicotine dependence among young adults. Nicotine Tob Res. 2008;10:439–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cuijpers P, Smit F, Ten Have M, De Graaf R. Smoking is associated with first-ever incidence of mental disorders: a prospective population-based study. Addiction. 2007;102:1303–1309.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Smith PH, Mazure CM, McKee SA. Smoking and mental illness in the US population. Tob Control. 2014;23:e147–e153.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Zvolensky MJ, Jenkins EF, Johnson KA, Goodwin RD. Personality disorders and cigarette smoking among adults in the United States. J Psychiatr Res. 2011;45:835–41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. García-Rodríguez O, Blanco C, Wall MM, Wang S, Jin CJ, Kendler KS. Toward a comprehensive developmental model of smoking initiation and nicotine dependence. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014;144:160–9.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Fluharty M, Taylor AE, Grabski M, Munafò MR. The association of cigarette smoking with depression and anxiety: a systematic review. Nicotine Tob Res. 2017;19:3–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hoertel N, Blanco C, Oquendo MA, Wall MM, Olfson M, Falissard B, et al. A comprehensive model of predictors of persistence and recurrence in adults with major depression: results from a national 3-year prospective study. J Psychiatr Res. 2017;95:19–27.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Franco S, Olfson M, Wall MM, Wang S, Hoertel N, Blanco C. Shared and specific associations of substance use disorders on adverse outcomes: a national prospective study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019;201:212–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Martínez-Ortega JM, Goldstein BI, Gutiérrez-Rojas L, Sala R, Wang S, Blanco C. Temporal sequencing of nicotine dependence and bipolar disorder in the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions (NESARC). J Psychiatr Res. 2013;47:858–64.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Taylor G, Girling A, McNeill A, Aveyard P. Does smoking cessation result in improved mental health? A comparison of regression modelling and propensity score matching. BMJ Open. 2015;5:e008774.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. De Boer N, Vermeulen J, Lin B, Van Os J, Ten Have M, De Graaf R, et al. Longitudinal associations between alcohol use, smoking, genetic risk scoring and symptoms of depression in the general population: a prospective 6-year cohort study. Psychol Med. 2023;53:1409–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Blanco C, Wall MM, Hoertel N, Krueger RF, Liu S-M, Grant BF, et al. Psychiatric disorders and risk for multiple adverse outcomes: a national prospective study. Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26:907–16.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hoertel N, Franco S, Wall MM, Oquendo MA, Kerridge BT, Limosin F, et al. Mental disorders and risk of suicide attempt: a national prospective study. Mol Psychiatry. 2015;20:718–26.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Blanco C, Hoertel N, Wall MM, Franco S, Peyre H, Neria Y, et al. Toward understanding sex differences in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2018;79:16m11364.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Blanco C, Hasin DS, Wall MM, Flórez-Salamanca L, Hoertel N, Wang S, et al. Cannabis use and risk of psychiatric disorders: prospective evidence from a US national longitudinal study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73:388.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Grant. The alcohol use disorder and associated disabilities interview schedule (AUDADIS): reliability of alcohol and drug modules in a general population sample. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1995;39:37–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ruan WJ, Goldstein RB, Chou SP, Smith SM, Saha TD, Pickering RP, et al. The alcohol use disorder and associated disabilities interview schedule-IV (AUDADIS-IV): reliability of new psychiatric diagnostic modules and risk factors in a general population sample. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2008;92:27–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Winkleby MA, Jatulis DE, Frank E, Fortmann SP. Socioeconomic status and health: how education, income, and occupation contribute to risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Am J Public Health. 1992;82:816–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Ford ES, Anda RF, Edwards VJ, Perry GS, Zhao G, Li C, et al. Adverse childhood experiences and smoking status in five states. Prev Med. 2011;53:188–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lopez-Quintero C, Cobos JPDL, Hasin DS, Okuda M, Wang S, Grant BF, et al. Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug Alcohol Depend. 2011;115:120–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Blanco C, Rafful C, Wall MM, Ridenour TA, Wang S, Kendler KS. Towards a comprehensive developmental model of cannabis use disorders. Addiction. 2014;109:284–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Blanco C, Wall MM, Hoertel N, Krueger RF, Olfson M. Toward a generalized developmental model of psychopathological liabilities and psychiatric disorders. Psychol Med. 2023;53:3406–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. NIDA. Why is there comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses? 2021. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/why-there-comorbidity-between-substance-use-disorders-mental-illnesses. Accessed 24 Apr 2024.

  28. Morisano D, Bacher I, Audrain-McGovern J, George TP. Mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of tobacco use in mental health and addictive disorders. Can J Psychiatry. 2009;54:356–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Lyons M, Hitsman B, Xian H, Panizzon M, Jerskey B, Santangelo S, et al. A twin study of smoking, nicotine dependence, and major depression in men. Nicotine Tob Res. 2008;10:97–108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Leventhal AM, Zvolensky MJ. Anxiety, depression, and cigarette smoking: a transdiagnostic vulnerability framework to understanding emotion–smoking comorbidity. Psychol Bull. 2015;141:176–212.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Goodwin R, Hamilton SP. Cigarette smoking and panic: the role of neuroticism. AJP. 2002;159:1208–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Swendsen J, Le Moal M. Individual vulnerability to addiction. Ann N. Y Acad Sci. 2011;1216:73–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Hamieh N, Descatha A, Zins M, Goldberg M, Czernichow S, Hoertel N, et al. Physical exertion at work and addictive behaviors: tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, sugar and fat consumption: longitudinal analyses in the CONSTANCES cohort. Sci Rep. 2022;12:661.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Airagnes G, Lemogne C, Meneton P, Plessz M, Goldberg M, Hoertel N, et al. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use are associated with job loss at follow-up: findings from the CONSTANCES cohort. PLoS ONE. 2019;14:e0222361.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Airagnes G, Lemogne C, Goldberg M, Hoertel N, Roquelaure Y, Limosin F, et al. Job exposure to the public in relation with alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use: findings from the CONSTANCES cohort study. PLoS ONE. 2018;13:e0196330.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Matta J, Hoertel N, Airagnes G, Wiernik E, Limosin F, Goldberg M, et al. Does substance use explain social differences in terms of depression? Findings from the Constances cohort. Compr Psychiatry. 2020;102:152203.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Ware J, Kosinski M, Turner-Bowker D, Gandek B. SF-12 v2: how to score version 2 of the SF-12 health survey. Boston, MA: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center; 2002. p. 29–38.

  38. Rosenbaum PR, Rubin DB. The central role of the propensity score in observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika. 1983;70:41–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Hill KG, Hawkins JD, Catalano RF, Abbott RD, Guo J. Family influences on the risk of daily smoking initiation. J Adolesc Health. 2005;37:202–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Brook D, Brook J, Zhang C, Whiteman M, Cohen P, Finch S. Developmental trajectories of cigarette smoking from adolescence to the early thirties: Personality and behavioral risk factors. Nicotine Tob Res. 2008;10:1283–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Pust S, Mohnen SM, Schneider S. Individual and social environment influences on smoking in children and adolescents. Public Health. 2008;122:1324–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Vander Weg MW. Adverse childhood experiences and cigarette smoking: the 2009 Arkansas and Louisiana behavioral risk factor surveillance systems. Nicotine Tob Res. 2011;13:616–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Bos J, Hayden MJ, Lum JAG, Staiger PK. UPPS-P impulsive personality traits and adolescent cigarette smoking: a meta-analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019;197:335–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Zhang Z, Kim HJ, Lonjon G, Zhu Y. Balance diagnostics after propensity score matching. Ann Transl Med. 2019;7:16.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Mouelhi Y, Jouve E, Castelli C, Gentile S. How is the minimal clinically important difference established in health-related quality of life instruments? Review of anchors and methods. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2020;18:136.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. Lumley T ‘survey: analysis of complex survey samples’ R package version 4. 2024.

  47. Durazzo TC, Meyerhoff DJ, Nixon SJ. Chronic cigarette smoking: implications for neurocognition and brain neurobiology. IJERPH. 2010;7:3760–91.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. Conti AA, McLean L, Tolomeo S, Steele JD, Baldacchino A. Chronic tobacco smoking and neuropsychological impairments: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;96:143–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Moylan S, Jacka FN, Pasco JA, Berk M. How cigarette smoking may increase the risk of anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders: a critical review of biological pathways. Brain Behav. 2013;3:302–26.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  50. Weinberger AH, Funk AP, Goodwin RD. A review of epidemiologic research on smoking behavior among persons with alcohol and illicit substance use disorders. Prev Med. 2016;92:148–59.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  51. Verplaetse TL, McKee SA. An overview of alcohol and tobacco/nicotine interactions in the human laboratory. Am J Drug Alcohol Abus. 2017;43:186–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Leventhal AM, Ameringer KJ, Osborn E, Zvolensky MJ, Langdon KJ. Anxiety and depressive symptoms and affective patterns of tobacco withdrawal. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013;133:324–9.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. Taylor GM, Lindson N, Farley A, Leinberger-Jabari A, Sawyer K, Te Water Naudé R, et al. Smoking cessation for improving mental health. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021;3:CD013522.

  54. Cavazos-Rehg PA, Breslau N, Hatsukami D, Krauss MJ, Spitznagel EL, Grucza RA, et al. Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders. Psychol Med. 2014;44:2523–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  55. Barkhuizen W, Dudbridge F, Ronald A. Genetic overlap and causal associations between smoking behaviours and mental health. Sci Rep. 2021;11:14871.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  56. Tsuang MT, Francis T, Minor K, Thomas A, Stone WS. Genetics of smoking and depression. Hum Genet. 2012;131:905–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Boden JM, Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ. Cigarette smoking and depression: tests of causal linkages using a longitudinal birth cohort. Br J Psychiatry. 2010;196:440–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Adjibade M, Lemogne C, Julia C, Hercberg S, Galan P, Assmann KE, et al. Prospective association between combined healthy lifestyles and risk of depressive symptoms in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. J Affect Disord. 2018;238:554–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Yao Y, Xu Y, Cai Z, Liu Q, Ma Y, Li AN, et al. Determination of shared genetic etiology and possible causal relations between tobacco smoking and depression. Psychol Med. 2021;51:1870–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Treur JL, Munafò MR, Logtenberg E, Wiers RW, Verweij KJH. Using Mendelian randomization analysis to better understand the relationship between mental health and substance use: a systematic review. Psychol Med. 2021;51:1593–624.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Amiri S. The prevalence of depression symptoms after smoking cessation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Addict Dis. 2020;39:109–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Vermeulen JM, Wootton RE, Treur JL, Sallis HM, Jones HJ, Zammit S, et al. Smoking and the risk for bipolar disorder: evidence from a bidirectional Mendelian randomisation study. Br J Psychiatry. 2021;218:88–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Schramm E, Klein DN, Elsaesser M, Furukawa TA, Domschke K. Review of dysthymia and persistent depressive disorder: history, correlates, and clinical implications. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7:801–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Le Strat Y, Hoertel N. Correlation is no causation: gymnasium proliferation and the risk of obesity. Addiction. 2011;106:1871–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Wagenknecht LE, Burke GL, Perkins LL, Haley NJ, Friedman GD. Misclassification of smoking status in the CARDIA study: a comparison of self-report with serum cotinine levels. Am J Public Health. 1992;82:33–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Folpmers S, Mook-Kanamori DO, De Mutsert R, Rosendaal FR, Willems Van Dijk K, Van Heemst D, et al. Agreement between nicotine metabolites in blood and self-reported smoking status: The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study. Addict Behav Rep. 2022;16:100457.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  67. Vartiainen E. Validation of self reported smoking by serum cotinine measurement in a community-based study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2002;56:167–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  68. Cook BL, Wayne GF, Kafali EN, Liu Z, Shu C, Flores M. Trends in smoking among adults with mental illness and association between mental health treatment and smoking cessation. JAMA 2014;311:172.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  69. Han B, Volkow ND, Blanco C, Tipperman D, Einstein EB, Compton WM. Trends in prevalence of cigarette smoking among US adults with major depression or substance use disorders, 2006-2019. JAMA. 2022;327:1566.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  70. Colton CW, Manderscheid RW. Congruencies in increased mortality rates, years of potential life lost, and causes of death among public mental health clients in eight states. Prev Chronic Dis. 2006;3:A42.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions was sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and funded, in part, by the Intramural Program, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health. The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Study protocol: GA, FL, NH. Conceptualization: GA, MSR, AD, FL, NH. Data curation: MSR, CB, MO, NH. Formal analysis: MSR, NH. Methodology: GA, MSR, AD, CB, MO, NH. Writing—original draft: GA. Writing—review & editing: GA, MSR, AD, CB, MO, COV, CL, FL, NH.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guillaume Airagnes.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

GA received speaker and/or consulting fees from Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Lundbeck, and Zentiva, outside the submitted work. Other authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. All procedures received full human subjects review and approval from the US Census Bureau and US Office of Management and Budget. All participants provided written informed consent.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Airagnes, G., Sánchez-Rico, M., Deguilhem, A. et al. Nicotine dependence and incident psychiatric disorders: prospective evidence from US national study. Mol Psychiatry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02748-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02748-6

Search

Quick links