While smokers may be known for “lighting up,” the phrase may not hold true for their emotional health. This is according to a new survey from Gallup and Healthways researchers, which found that smokers have worse emotional wellness than non-smokers.
For the study, the researchers conducted 83,000 interviews between January and June 2013, asking Americans over the age of 18 whether they experienced the following ‘during a lot of the day yesterday’: smiling or laughter, learning or doing something interesting, being treated with respect, enjoyment, happiness, worry, sadness, anger, and stress – and clinical diagnosis of depression. The study revealed that smokers scored 72 on an emotional health index, compared with 81.1 from non-smokers.
While Americans in poverty are 33% likely to smoke, compared to the 19.9% of Americans not in poverty, the results of the study revealed that smokers, regardless of their income level, report worse emotional health than those who do not smoke. In terms of stress, 50% of smokers were affected “yesterday”, compared to 37% of non-smokers. 26% of smokers reported having ever been clinically diagnosed with depression, compared to 15% of non-smokers. Smokers were also more likely to have experienced worry, anger, and sadness a lot of the previous day – but does this mean that these negative emotions led people to begin smoking, or did the act of smoking make participants more likely to report experiencing these negative emotions?
When it came to positive emotions, such as enjoyment, happiness, and smiling or laughter, smokers were less likely to experience these “yesterday, and were less likely than non-smokers to say they learned or did something new, at 57% and 66%, respectively. Additionally, fewer smokers than non-smokers felt as though they had been treated with respect the day before. According to the study, one in four Americans have less respect for smokers, which either affects how smokers are actually treated or how they perceive they are treated.
In their report, the researchers commented, ‘With nearly nine in 10 smokers expressing regret that they ever started smoking, it is worth noting that smoking is a preventable lifestyle choice and one that can negatively affect a person’s emotional wellbeing. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to experience negative emotions, including stress, worry, and sadness, but whether these negative emotions lead to smoking – or the other way around – remains unclear.’
Comments are closed.