Abstract
Background
Depression is frequently associated with unsuccessful smoking cessation.
Objective
In this study, we investigated the impact of depression history on smoking cessation success in a clinical setting.
Methods
This retrospective study included 726 patients who visited our smoking cessation clinic between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2018. Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses of smoking cessation success factors.
Results
Among the 726 patients, 76 had a history of depression and demonstrated significantly lower 12-week quit rate compared to those without (33.6% vs. 69.6%, p < .001). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed a significant association between abstinence rate and history of depression (hazard ratio 2.251, 95% CI 1.505–3.315, p < .001), history of schizophrenia (hazard ratio 2.716, 95% CI 1.427–4.840, p = .003), and Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test scores (hazard ratio 1.519, 95% CI 1.053–2.197, p = .025).
Conclusions
Our findings suggested that a history of depression is a significant prognostic factor for smoking cessation, underscoring the need for targeted interventions for patients with a history of depression. The findings of this study are subject to potential selection bias due to recruitment from a single hospital, which may limit the generalizability of our results. This study highlights the necessity for novel, specialized smoking cessation therapies to support patients with a history of depression in their cessation journey.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dr. Ritsuko Terasaka, Dr. Keiko Uragami, and Dr. Keiko Ihara for their support at the smoking cessation clinic. The authors would also like to thank Enago (www.enago.jp) for providing English language review.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Data availability statements
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [H.K.], upon reasonable request.