The Association Between DSM-IV Nicotine Dependence and Stressful Life Events in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

Background and Objectives: Nicotine dependence (ND) is a pervasive public health concern and a leading cause of preventable mortality. Stressful life events (SLEs), which severely disrupt the lives of individuals experiencing such events, have been posited as correlates of persisting ND. While both ND and SLEs have been studied extensively in relation to other variables, there are few instances in which they have been investigated in concert. Methods: In this study, we use data on 18,013 smokers from the 2001–2002 data set of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC, N = 43,093) to examine whether experiencing a SLE in the past 12 months was associated with meeting criteria for ND in the same past 12 months. Logistic regression analyses were conducted while accounting for a variety of covariates. Results: A majority of the SLEs were associated with past 12 month ND, even after controlling for poverty, psychiatric and substance use disorders, and a prior history of ND (odds-ratios 1.35–2.20). The rates of past 12 month ND were considerably greater in those experiencing more than one SLE. Conclusions: While these data do not allow us to make causal interpretations, our results suggest an association between SLE and ND. Potentially, individuals experiencing SLEs may find it difficult to quit smoking; alternatively, directly or via correlated risks (e.g., living in a high risk neighborhood), smoking may increase the likelihood of exposure to SLEs.

[1]  E. Walker,et al.  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 2013 .

[2]  Dorothy Y. Hung,et al.  Purchasing Patterns and Smoking Behaviors after a Large Tobacco Tax Increase: A Study of Chinese Americans Living in New York City , 2008, Public health reports.

[3]  G. Koob,et al.  Stress, dysregulation of drug reward pathways, and the transition to drug dependence. , 2007, The American journal of psychiatry.

[4]  M. Spittal,et al.  Association of smoking cessation with financial stress and material well-being: results from a prospective study of a population-based national survey. , 2007, American journal of public health.

[5]  D. Shelley,et al.  The $5 man: the underground economic response to a large cigarette tax increase in New York City. , 2007, American journal of public health.

[6]  V. Borg,et al.  A systematic review of the impact of work environment on smoking cessation, relapse and amount smoked. , 2006, Preventive medicine.

[7]  K. Haustein.  Smoking and poverty , 2006, European journal of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation : official journal of the European Society of Cardiology, Working Groups on Epidemiology & Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology.

[8]  N. Breslau,et al.  Is the association of smoking and depression a recent phenomenon? , 2006, Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

[9]  M. al’Absi.  Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical responses to psychological stress and risk for smoking relapse. , 2006, International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology.

[10]  M. Tsuang,et al.  A twin registry study of the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and nicotine dependence in men. , 2005, Archives of general psychiatry.

[11]  B. Grant,et al.  The association between stress and drinking: modifying effects of gender and vulnerability. , 2005, Alcohol and alcoholism.

[12]  W. Gallo,et al.  The effect of involuntary job loss on smoking intensity and relapse. , 2005, Addiction.

[13]  T. Frieden,et al.  Adult tobacco use levels after intensive tobacco control measures: New York City, 2002-2003. , 2005, American journal of public health.

[14]  T. Frieden,et al.  Smoking practices in New York City: The use of a population-based survey to guide policy-making and programming , 2005, Journal of Urban Health.

[15]  B. Grant,et al.  Nicotine dependence and psychiatric disorders in the United States: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. , 2004, Archives of general psychiatry.

[16]  I. Kamp,et al.  Residential environment and health: a review of methodological and conceptual issues. , 2004, Reviews on environmental health.

[17]  J. Schroeder,et al.  Time spent with friends who smoke and quit attempts among teen smokers. , 2004, Addictive Behaviours.

[18]  B. Grant,et al.  The Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-IV (AUDADIS-IV): reliability of alcohol consumption, tobacco use, family history of depression and psychiatric diagnostic modules in a general population sample. , 2003, Drug and alcohol dependence.

[19]  G. Willemsen,et al.  Smoking status of parents, siblings and friends: predictors of regular smoking? Findings from a longitudinal twin-family study. , 2003, Twin research : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies.

[20]  C. Mazure,et al.  Sex differences in the effects of stressful life events on changes in smoking status. , 2003, Addiction.

[21]  Kimberly Kobus,et al.  Peers and adolescent smoking. , 2003, Addiction.

[22]  J. Kassel,et al.  Smoking, stress, and negative affect: correlation, causation, and context across stages of smoking. , 2003, Psychological bulletin.

[23]  K. Perkins,et al.  Sex differences in the subjective and reinforcing effects of cigarette nicotine dose , 2002, Psychopharmacology.

[24]  D. Kalman.  The subjective effects of nicotine: methodological issues, a review of experimental studies, and recommendations for future research. , 2002, Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

[25]  R. Kessler,et al.  Nicotine dependence in the United States: prevalence, trends, and smoking persistence. , 2001, Archives of general psychiatry.

[26]  K. Perkins,et al.  Sex differences in the subjective and reinforcing effects of visual and olfactory cigarette smoke stimuli. , 2001, Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

[27]  Richard Doll,et al.  Smoking, smoking cessation, and lung cancer in the UK since 1950: combination of national statistics with two case-control studies , 2000, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[28]  K. Perkins,et al.  Sex differences in nicotine effects and self-administration: review of human and animal evidence. , 1999, Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

[29]  Terry E. Duncan,et al.  Exploring Associations in Developmental Trends of Adolescent Substance Use and Risky Sexual Behavior in a High-Risk Population , 1999, Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

[30]  L. Pederson,et al.  Psychosocial factors related to adolescent smoking: a critical review of the literature , 1998, Tobacco control.

[31]  G F Koob,et al.  Drug dependence: stress and dysregulation of brain reward pathways. , 1998, Drug and alcohol dependence.

[32]  T. Novotny,et al.  Poverty status and cigarette smoking prevalence and cessation in the United States, 1983-1993: the independent risk of being poor , 1997, Tobacco Control.

[33]  S Shiffman,et al.  Temptations to smoke after quitting: a comparison of lapsers and maintainers. , 1996, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[34]  B. Flay,et al.  Why children start smoking cigarettes: predictors of onset. , 1992, British journal of addiction.

[35]  C. Pomerleau,et al.  Research on stress and smoking: progress and problems. , 1991, British journal of addiction.

[36]  J. Carlin,et al.  Financial stress, smoking cessation and relapse: results from a prospective study of an Australian national sample. , 2006, Addiction.

[37]  Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and economic costs--United States, 1995-1999. , 2002, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report.

[38]  Tx Station.  Stata Statistical Software: Release 7. , 2001 .

[39]  S. Shiffman,et al.  Progression from a smoking lapse to relapse: prediction from abstinence violation effects, nicotine dependence, and lapse characteristics. , 1996, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[40]  M. E. Wewers,et al.  The role of postcessation factors in tobacco abstinence: stressful events and coping responses. , 1988, Addictive behaviors.

[41]  P M Monti,et al.  Psychosocial stress and coping in smokers who relapse or quit. , 1987, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[42]  E. Khantzian,et al.  The self-medication hypothesis of addictive disorders: focus on heroin and cocaine dependence. , 1985, The American journal of psychiatry.