Dealing with the mental health issue is such a sensitive and difficult thing. Oftentimes, the shadows and the monsters that make the situation worse are silent and no one ever knows when will it aggravate or whether it will still disappear or not. That's why people in this situation tend to lose hope and are left with no choice but to give in to the urge of killing themselves instead.
But did you know that through a recent study, experts found another reason for people to stay away from smoking? Aside from how it can pose health risks like lung cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, and low birth weight, as revealed by NHS, smoking can also worsen one's mental health situation. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's-Hadasssah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine headed by Professor Hagai Levine and Assistant Professor Tatjana Gazibara, dig deep into the link between mental health risks and smoking.
In the study published in PLOS ONE, about 2,000 students were surveyed from three different locations. All of them have different socio-economic and political environments, as reported by Medical Xpress.
The results reveal how most of the students who are addicted or have been attached to smoking have higher rates of depression than those who are not engaged with the vice by two to three times more. Furthermore, the results also reveal that among the smokers, 14% of them have unstable mental health, while for non-smokers, only 4%, at the University of Pristina. And 19% and 11% at Belgrade University, respectively.
"Our study adds to the growing body of evidence that smoking and depression are closely linked", explained Levine. The expert further shared that as of the moment, there is still no specific evidence that can show how smoking can cause depression. But based on the study, their group can say how the chemical can have an adverse effect on one's mental health.
Because of the risks and dangers of unstable mental health, Levine encourages universities to at least control the growing addiction in smoking among their students by banning cigarettes inside the campus. Encouraging the students to stop smoking or at least minimize their tobacco usage can already come a long way in helping them improve their mental health. Furthermore, will all the harmful effects that every cigarette butt can cause to our body, controlling these students' smoking habits can already pose a good effect on their physique as well.
