anthony
Founder
People smoke for many reasons, and no matter what the reason, quitting is difficult. When people with posttraumatic stress symptoms use cigarettes to cope with anxiety and other negative feelings related to the trauma, it becomes even more difficult to stop smoking.
Two recent papers by University of Arkansas psychologist Matthew Feldner and colleagues shed light on the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking. Their research begins filling the significant gap in knowledge about the effects of trauma-related symptoms on smoking cessation.
In a paper published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, Feldner and colleagues examined how motives for smoking related to posttraumatic stress symptom levels, which is an important first step in developing effective smoking treatments for people who have experienced a traumatic event.
The researchers reported that individuals in their study with higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms were more likely to smoke to reduce negative feelings. These results supported earlier predictions in the field, which had suggested this would be an important motive for smoking among those with posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Feldner worked with another group of colleagues to review research on the relationship between smoking and PTSD in a paper recently published in Clinical Psychology Review. Their work revealed a "striking and clinically important" gap in available treatments for smokers with PTSD. It's a gap that is particularly serious, the researchers noted, given the evidence that "PTSD and associated characteristics may be central to smoking cessation problems."
While more research is needed to understand the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking, understanding motives for smoking among people with PTSD has important implications for treatment. For instance, the researchers write, "smokers with posttraumatic stress problems may be in particular need of learning adaptive strategies for coping" with the negative feelings related to their trauma. The researchers point out that the results of long-term smoking - like withdrawal symptoms, health problems and illnesses - will only increase the negative feelings these smokers seek to avoid.
In both papers, the researchers called for more sophisticated methods to measure smoking behavior in relation to trauma symptoms and PTSD. Long-range studies that did not depend completely on after-the-fact reporting by participants could be particularly useful.
Source: University of Arkansas
Link Removed
Two recent papers by University of Arkansas psychologist Matthew Feldner and colleagues shed light on the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking. Their research begins filling the significant gap in knowledge about the effects of trauma-related symptoms on smoking cessation.
In a paper published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, Feldner and colleagues examined how motives for smoking related to posttraumatic stress symptom levels, which is an important first step in developing effective smoking treatments for people who have experienced a traumatic event.
The researchers reported that individuals in their study with higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms were more likely to smoke to reduce negative feelings. These results supported earlier predictions in the field, which had suggested this would be an important motive for smoking among those with posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Feldner worked with another group of colleagues to review research on the relationship between smoking and PTSD in a paper recently published in Clinical Psychology Review. Their work revealed a "striking and clinically important" gap in available treatments for smokers with PTSD. It's a gap that is particularly serious, the researchers noted, given the evidence that "PTSD and associated characteristics may be central to smoking cessation problems."
While more research is needed to understand the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking, understanding motives for smoking among people with PTSD has important implications for treatment. For instance, the researchers write, "smokers with posttraumatic stress problems may be in particular need of learning adaptive strategies for coping" with the negative feelings related to their trauma. The researchers point out that the results of long-term smoking - like withdrawal symptoms, health problems and illnesses - will only increase the negative feelings these smokers seek to avoid.
In both papers, the researchers called for more sophisticated methods to measure smoking behavior in relation to trauma symptoms and PTSD. Long-range studies that did not depend completely on after-the-fact reporting by participants could be particularly useful.
Source: University of Arkansas
Link Removed