Treating Tobacco Dependence Essay Example for Free

Treating Tobacco Dependence Essay The article aims to reveal the connection between tobacco dependence, smoking cessation, and depression, in mentally ill health patients, especially those who have been previously diagnosed with unipolar depression. According to previous studies, smoking cessation causes depression in individuals who have suffered from the condition previously. Moreover, statistics gathered from comprehensive data analysis and research show that most individuals suffering mental conditions are highly dependent on tobacco use, which poses detrimental effects on their health. Resolutions in order to stop mental health patients or individuals previously diagnosed with depression from smoking, is yet to be discovered due to the absence of comprehensive information of how to handle relapse after smoking cessation. Since then, the treatment of tobacco abuse has become difficult since individuals with mental health conditions or who were previously diagnosed with depression, since undergoing smoking cessation, have worsened their present mental health functioning or have influenced them to revert to their previous depressive conditions. Another study conducted by Glassman et. al. on 100 individuals who were found out to have history of depression resulted to similar outcomes. They were administered with setraline, which was utilized to inhibit individuals from smoking and eventually help them get over the addiction. Majority of the sample population obtained for the study relapsed into their depressive state. The study conducted by Tsoh et. al., on the other hand, revealed that almost half of the sample population who were involved in smoking cessation also returned to their previous depressive state. If individuals who previously suffered from depression depend on tobacco use to repress depressive symptoms, then they would doubly suffer if smoking cessation were administered as a means of ending tobacco use. The particular study aimed to identify the extent of damage for individuals who depend on tobacco use and the effects of smoking cessation shortly after. The research studied and observed 322 individuals who are highly dependent on smoking, and who were previously diagnosed with unipolar depression. The individuals who were asked signed up and participate in the research were allowed by the mental health outpatient clinics, following up consent from these institutions. The particular research utilized a computer program designed to accomplish the purpose of the study. The computer program was employed to provide feedback for the changes in the behavior of an individual regarding smoking as they were monitored for a particular period of time. Individuals who took part in the research study completed the program from baseline, the third, sixth, twelfth, and eighteenth months following smoking cessation. The feedback generated for each program completion was based on previous data gathered from the individual. The standard for individuals who quit smoking was based on the individual’s abstinence from smoking for a seven-day period. To measure the results when it comes to mental conditions, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Mental Component Summary of Medical Outcomes Study Short Form, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. The results of the study were analyzed by utilizing a table, which monitored the mental health functioning of individuals as they commenced with smoking cessation practices. As the time progresses, the feedback generated by the computer program utilized in the study revealed that, individuals slowly showed signs of quitting from smoking. Some individuals reverted to alcohol and drug abuse, while some also lessened their use of drugs and alcohol. Only a small portion of the total population successfully quit from smoking. The results of the study were taken vis-à  -vis the findings of another study conducted by Hall and et. al. The study showed that individuals who are presently undergoing serious mental health conditions, such as depression, could be possibly assisted to undergo smoking cessation. This process, of intervention while experiencing mental health conditions would not hold negative effects upon recovery. Moreover, on a positive note, those who were found out to have successfully quit smoking also lessened their intake of alcohol, drugs, and other substances that led to addiction. The most significant outcome of the study reveals that both groups of individuals, mentally ill patients who underwent smoking cessation and abuse intervention, and those who successful quit smoking did not manifest any symptom of depression. Therefore, the study strongly supports intervention while patients are under care for mental health problems, rather than waiting for the depressive state to subside. This study greatly contributes to previous studies conducted in order to determine smoking cessation and its influence to patients with mental health problems that are highly dependent on tobacco use. Although the problem still lies with individuals who depend on tobacco use, and have suffered depression previously, and smoking cessation, there should be certain regulations and interventions prior to the elimination of mental health functioning. For instance, mental health patients should not be allowed to revert to smoking in order to suppress their depression. Mental health clinics should implement more programs and activities that are interesting and are more prone to relieve the stress of the patients in order to revert their attention from smoking cigarettes. This measure is an efficient way of influencing greater effects on the mental health of individuals, and also to save cost and effort on the part of mental health clinics, once previous patients relapse into their depressive states.          References Prochaska, J. J., Hall, S. M., Tsoh, J. Y., Eisendrath, S., Rossi, J. S., Redding, C. A., Rosen, A. B., Meisner, M., Humfleet, G. L., Gorecki, J. A. (2007). â€Å"Treating Tobacco Dependence in Clinically Depressed Smokers: Effect of Smoking Cessation on Mental Health Functioning.† American Journal of Public Health. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from MWATT. Website: http://mwattc.com/docs/depressedsmokers.pdf