Mental Health Symptoms and Associations with Tobacco Smoking, Dependence, Motivation, and Attempts to Quit: Findings from a Population Survey in Germany (DEBRA Study)

Sabrina Kastaun; Leonie S Brose; Esther Scholz; Wolfgang Viechtbauer; Daniel Kotz

doi:10.1159/000523973

Mental Health Symptoms and Associations with Tobacco Smoking, Dependence, Motivation, and Attempts to Quit: Findings from a Population Survey in Germany (DEBRA Study)

Sabrina Kastaun, Leonie S Brose, Esther Scholz, Wolfgang Viechtbauer, Daniel Kotz

University of Düsseldorf
Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities & Harm (SPECTRUM)
Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre,Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to estimate prevalence rates of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and overall psychological distress) by tobacco smoking status, and associations between such symptoms and the level of dependence, motivation, and attempts to quit smoking in the German population.

METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from six waves of a nationally representative household survey collected in 2018/19 (N = 11,937 respondents aged ≥18). Mental health symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Associations with smoking status, dependence, motivation to quit, and ≥1 past-year quit attempt (yes/no) were analysed with adjusted regression models among the total group, and among subgroups of current (n = 3,248) and past-year smokers (quit ≤12 months ago, n = 3,357).

RESULTS: Weighted prevalence rates of mental health symptoms among current, former, and never smokers were: 4.1%, 2.4%, 2.5% (anxiety), 5.4%, 4.7%, 4.0% (depression), and 3.1%, 2.5%, 2.4% (psychological distress). Current versus never smokers were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Smokers with higher versus lower levels of dependence were more likely to report higher levels of all three mental health symptoms. Higher versus lower levels of overall psychological distress were associated with a higher motivation to quit smoking and, among past-year smokers, with higher odds of reporting a past-year quit attempt.

CONCLUSIONS: We found various relevant associations between mental health symptoms and smoking behaviour. Healthcare professionals need to be informed about these associations and trained to effectively support this vulnerable group in translating their motivation into abstinence.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	287-296
Number of pages	10
Journal	European Addiction Research
Volume	28
Issue number	4
Early online date	31 Mar 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1159/000523973
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2022

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Mental Health Symptoms and_KASTAUN_2022_GOLD VoR (CC BY)Final published version, 253 KBLicence: CC BY

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@article{d2f3363c081141c493f91dac9674ee86,

title = "Mental Health Symptoms and Associations with Tobacco Smoking, Dependence, Motivation, and Attempts to Quit: Findings from a Population Survey in Germany (DEBRA Study)",

abstract = "INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to estimate prevalence rates of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and overall psychological distress) by tobacco smoking status, and associations between such symptoms and the level of dependence, motivation, and attempts to quit smoking in the German population.METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from six waves of a nationally representative household survey collected in 2018/19 (N = 11,937 respondents aged ≥18). Mental health symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Associations with smoking status, dependence, motivation to quit, and ≥1 past-year quit attempt (yes/no) were analysed with adjusted regression models among the total group, and among subgroups of current (n = 3,248) and past-year smokers (quit ≤12 months ago, n = 3,357).RESULTS: Weighted prevalence rates of mental health symptoms among current, former, and never smokers were: 4.1%, 2.4%, 2.5% (anxiety), 5.4%, 4.7%, 4.0% (depression), and 3.1%, 2.5%, 2.4% (psychological distress). Current versus never smokers were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Smokers with higher versus lower levels of dependence were more likely to report higher levels of all three mental health symptoms. Higher versus lower levels of overall psychological distress were associated with a higher motivation to quit smoking and, among past-year smokers, with higher odds of reporting a past-year quit attempt.CONCLUSIONS: We found various relevant associations between mental health symptoms and smoking behaviour. Healthcare professionals need to be informed about these associations and trained to effectively support this vulnerable group in translating their motivation into abstinence.",

author = "Sabrina Kastaun and Brose, {Leonie S} and Esther Scholz and Wolfgang Viechtbauer and Daniel Kotz",

note = "Funding Information: The DEBRA study was funded, from 2016 to 2019 (waves 1–18), by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the German State of North Rhine–Westphalia (MIWF) in the context of the “NRW R{\"u}ckkehrprogramm” (the North Rhine–Westphalian postdoc return program). Since 2019 (wave 19 onwards), the study has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1159/000523973",

language = "English",

volume = "28",

pages = "287--296",

journal = "European Addiction Research",

issn = "1022-6877",

publisher = "S. Karger AG",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Mental Health Symptoms and Associations with Tobacco Smoking, Dependence, Motivation, and Attempts to Quit

T2 - Findings from a Population Survey in Germany (DEBRA Study)

AU - Kastaun, Sabrina

AU - Brose, Leonie S

AU - Scholz, Esther

AU - Viechtbauer, Wolfgang

AU - Kotz, Daniel

N1 - Funding Information: The DEBRA study was funded, from 2016 to 2019 (waves 1–18), by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the German State of North Rhine–Westphalia (MIWF) in the context of the “NRW Rückkehrprogramm” (the North Rhine–Westphalian postdoc return program). Since 2019 (wave 19 onwards), the study has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PY - 2022/6/1

Y1 - 2022/6/1

N2 - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to estimate prevalence rates of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and overall psychological distress) by tobacco smoking status, and associations between such symptoms and the level of dependence, motivation, and attempts to quit smoking in the German population.METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from six waves of a nationally representative household survey collected in 2018/19 (N = 11,937 respondents aged ≥18). Mental health symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Associations with smoking status, dependence, motivation to quit, and ≥1 past-year quit attempt (yes/no) were analysed with adjusted regression models among the total group, and among subgroups of current (n = 3,248) and past-year smokers (quit ≤12 months ago, n = 3,357).RESULTS: Weighted prevalence rates of mental health symptoms among current, former, and never smokers were: 4.1%, 2.4%, 2.5% (anxiety), 5.4%, 4.7%, 4.0% (depression), and 3.1%, 2.5%, 2.4% (psychological distress). Current versus never smokers were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Smokers with higher versus lower levels of dependence were more likely to report higher levels of all three mental health symptoms. Higher versus lower levels of overall psychological distress were associated with a higher motivation to quit smoking and, among past-year smokers, with higher odds of reporting a past-year quit attempt.CONCLUSIONS: We found various relevant associations between mental health symptoms and smoking behaviour. Healthcare professionals need to be informed about these associations and trained to effectively support this vulnerable group in translating their motivation into abstinence.

AB - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to estimate prevalence rates of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and overall psychological distress) by tobacco smoking status, and associations between such symptoms and the level of dependence, motivation, and attempts to quit smoking in the German population.METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from six waves of a nationally representative household survey collected in 2018/19 (N = 11,937 respondents aged ≥18). Mental health symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Associations with smoking status, dependence, motivation to quit, and ≥1 past-year quit attempt (yes/no) were analysed with adjusted regression models among the total group, and among subgroups of current (n = 3,248) and past-year smokers (quit ≤12 months ago, n = 3,357).RESULTS: Weighted prevalence rates of mental health symptoms among current, former, and never smokers were: 4.1%, 2.4%, 2.5% (anxiety), 5.4%, 4.7%, 4.0% (depression), and 3.1%, 2.5%, 2.4% (psychological distress). Current versus never smokers were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Smokers with higher versus lower levels of dependence were more likely to report higher levels of all three mental health symptoms. Higher versus lower levels of overall psychological distress were associated with a higher motivation to quit smoking and, among past-year smokers, with higher odds of reporting a past-year quit attempt.CONCLUSIONS: We found various relevant associations between mental health symptoms and smoking behaviour. Healthcare professionals need to be informed about these associations and trained to effectively support this vulnerable group in translating their motivation into abstinence.

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U2 - 10.1159/000523973

DO - 10.1159/000523973

M3 - Article

C2 - 35358964

SN - 1022-6877

VL - 28

SP - 287

EP - 296

JO - European Addiction Research

JF - European Addiction Research

IS - 4

ER -

Mental Health Symptoms and Associations with Tobacco Smoking, Dependence, Motivation, and Attempts to Quit: Findings from a Population Survey in Germany (DEBRA Study)

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