The effect of stopping smoking on perceived stress levels.
OBJECTIVE
Many smokers believe that smoking helps them to cope with stress, and that stopping smoking would deprive them of an effective stress management tool. Changes in stress levels following long-term smoking cessation are not well mapped. This longitudinal project was designed to provide more robust data on post-cessation changes in perceived stress levels by following a cohort of smokers admitted to hospital after myocardial infarction (MI) or for coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery, as such patients typically achieve higher continuous abstinence rates than other comparable samples.


METHODS
A total of 469 smokers hospitalized after MI or CAB surgery and wanting to stop smoking were seen in the hospital and completed 1-year follow-ups. Ratings of helpfulness of smoking in managing stress at baseline, smoking status (validated by salivary cotinine concentration) and ratings of perceived stress at baseline and at 1-year follow-up were collected.


RESULTS
Of the patients, 41% (n = 194) maintained abstinence for 1 year. Future abstainers and future smokers did not differ in baseline stress levels or in their perception of coping properties of smoking. However, abstainers recorded a significantly larger decrease in perceived stress than continuing smokers, and the result held when possible confounding factors were controlled for (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In highly dependent smokers who report that smoking helps them cope with stress, smoking cessation is associated with lowering of stress. Whatever immediate effects smoking may have on perceived stress, overall it may generate or aggravate negative emotional states. The results provide reassurance to smokers worried that stopping smoking may deprive them of a valuable coping resource.
Queen Mary, University of London, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Charterhouse Square, London, UK.
Peter
P
Hajek
Tamara
T
Taylor
Hayden
H
McRobbie
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003367:Cotinine / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction; D010465:Perception; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology
D003367:Cotinine