Survey Finds Link Between Depression And Smoking

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Sometimes medical surveys tell us a great deal - information that we can use to make a difference in how we treat common conditions.

For instance, 40% of US adults who have depression are also smokers.

According to a US government survey, more than half of middle-aged men with depression were also smokers, while half of women under 40 who were depressed also smoked.

These numbers are very important when you realize that as many as ten percent of Americans are dealing with depression at any one time.

Smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than non-smokers and if there is a link to depression it makes sense that if we can improve our treatments for depression, including counseling, we could make a big difference.