NAKO study confirms link between smoking and depression

An evaluation of theNAKO health study proves for the first time within the German cohort that both current and former smokers have a significantly higher incidence of depression over their lifetime than never-smokers, with particularly pronounced differences between the ages of 40 and 59. The analysis also shows a dose-dependent relationship between cigarette consumption and depressive symptoms, as well as positive effects of prolonged smoking cessation on mental health. The researchers emphasise the importance of smoking avoidance and cessation for promoting mental health and plan to conduct further analyses to clarify the underlying mechanisms.