Tobacco Addiction and Psychological Co-morbidities

Abstract

(from the chapter) Nicotine dependence is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a recurrent, periodic compulsion to use tobacco due to neurophysiological, psychological, and social factors (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; DiFranza et al., 2010). Nicotine dependence has behavioral and physiological characteristics that are similar to those of other addictions, but also unique aspects that require special attention because of its ubiquity on a global scale, its staggering effects on rates of morbidity and mortality, and its high prevalence of psychological co-morbidities, including psychiatric disorders. About 50% of all smokers are estimated to die from medical diseases caused by or worsened by their smoking accounting for about 450,000 deaths in the United States and more than five million deaths worldwide (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002; World Health Organization, 2009). Compared to the general population, individuals with psychiatric disorders are much more likely to smoke cigarettes (Kleber et al., 2006). This chapter will focus on the psychiatric disorders most often associated with nicotine dependence, underlying biobehavioral mechanisms of co-morbidity, cultural factors, and treatment approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)