Smoking cessation benefits psychological as well as physical health
While smoking cessation aides are among the most popular over the counter medications, some smokers are hesitant to make the leap.
While smoking cessation aides are among the most popular over the counter medications, some smokers are hesitant to make the leap. One perception about quitting cigarettes is the fear of not having a way to cope with stress. However, researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health suggest that giving up smoking will benefit one's psychological health as well as physical health.
The study team investigated more than 1,500 individuals who were part of a smoking cessation trial. The researchers measured variables such as emotions, relationship satisfaction, occurrence of stressors and quality of life, which entailed health and various social factors.
Results showed that quality of life did not get worse for these subjects. In fact, compared to people who continued to smoke, those who quit reported having a better overall quality of life, health and positive emotions, as published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. These results were recorded one and three years after quitting.
"Smokers might believe that quitting will decrease life satisfaction or quality of life -- because they believe it disrupts routines, interferes with relationships, leads to a loss of smoking-related pleasure, or because cessation deprives them of a coping strategy. Our findings suggest that, over the long-term, individuals will be happier and more satisfied with their lives if they stop smoking than if they do not," the researchers wrote.
The team hopes that these findings can be used by smoking cessation programs to help motivate patients.
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