Skip to main content
NCBI home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1993 Feb;83(2):249–251. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.2.249

Smoking and suicide among nurses.

D Hemenway 1, S J Solnick 1, G A Colditz 1
PMCID: PMC1694571  PMID: 8427332

Abstract

Current evidence suggests a strong positive correlation between cigarette consumption and depression; this study examined the relationship between cigarettes and suicide. Over 100,000 predominantly White, middle-aged, female registered nurses were followed via biannual questionnaires from 1976 through 1988. Respondents smoking 1 through 24 cigarettes per day had twice the risk and those smoking 25 or more cigarettes four times the risk of committing suicide, compared with those who had never smoked. Although no information on causation was available, this paper links cigarettes to another major health problem.

Full text

PDF
249

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ames R. G. Respiratory disease and suicide among U.S. coal miners: is there a relationship? Am J Prev Med. 1985 Nov-Dec;1(6):58–60. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anda R. F., Williamson D. F., Escobedo L. G., Mast E. E., Giovino G. A., Remington P. L. Depression and the dynamics of smoking. A national perspective. JAMA. 1990 Sep 26;264(12):1541–1545. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bourque L. B., Kraus J. F., Cosand B. J. Attributes of suicide in females. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1983 Summer;13(2):123–138. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1983.tb00010.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandon T. H., Zelman D. C., Baker T. B. Effects of maintenance sessions on smoking relapse: delaying the inevitable? J Consult Clin Psychol. 1987 Oct;55(5):780–782. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.55.5.780. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carney R. M., Rich M. W., Tevelde A., Saini J., Clark K., Jaffe A. S. Major depressive disorder in coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 1987 Dec 1;60(16):1273–1275. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(87)90607-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chiles J. A., Benjamin G. A., Cahn T. S. Who smokes? Why?: Psychiatric aspects of continued cigarette usage among lawyers in Washington State. Compr Psychiatry. 1990 Mar-Apr;31(2):176–184. doi: 10.1016/0010-440x(90)90022-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Colditz G. A., Martin P., Stampfer M. J., Willett W. C., Sampson L., Rosner B., Hennekens C. H., Speizer F. E. Validation of questionnaire information on risk factors and disease outcomes in a prospective cohort study of women. Am J Epidemiol. 1986 May;123(5):894–900. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114319. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davis A. T., Schrueder C. The prediction of suicide. Med J Aust. 1990 Nov 5;153(9):552–554. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Frederick T., Frerichs R. R., Clark V. A. Personal health habits and symptoms of depression at the community level. Prev Med. 1988 Mar;17(2):173–182. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(88)90061-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Frerichs R. R., Aneshensel C. S., Clark V. A., Yokopenic P. Smoking and depression: a community survey. Am J Public Health. 1981 Jun;71(6):637–640. doi: 10.2105/ajph.71.6.637. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Friberg L., Cederlöf R., Lorich U., Lundman T., De Faire U. Mortality in twins in relation to smoking habits and alcohol problems. Arch Environ Health. 1973 Nov;27(5):294–304. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1973.10666384. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gangat A. E., Simpson M. A., Naidoo L. R. Medication as a potential cause of depression. S Afr Med J. 1986 Aug 16;70(4):224–226. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Glass R. M. Blue mood, blackened lungs. Depression and smoking. JAMA. 1990 Sep 26;264(12):1583–1584. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Glassman A. H., Helzer J. E., Covey L. S., Cottler L. B., Stetner F., Tipp J. E., Johnson J. Smoking, smoking cessation, and major depression. JAMA. 1990 Sep 26;264(12):1546–1549. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Glassman A. H., Stetner F., Walsh B. T., Raizman P. S., Fleiss J. L., Cooper T. B., Covey L. S. Heavy smokers, smoking cessation, and clonidine. Results of a double-blind, randomized trial. JAMA. 1988 May 20;259(19):2863–2866. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Haines A. P., Imeson J. D., Meade T. W. Psychoneurotic profiles of smokers and non-smokers. Br Med J. 1980 Jun 14;280(6229):1422–1422. doi: 10.1136/bmj.280.6229.1422. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hall S. M., Bachman J., Henderson J. B., Barstow R., Jones R. T. Smoking cessation in patients with cardiopulmonary disease: an initial study. Addict Behav. 1983;8(1):33–42. doi: 10.1016/0306-4603(83)90053-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hall S. M., Tunstall C., Rugg D., Jones R. T., Benowitz N. Nicotine gum and behavioral treatment in smoking cessation. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1985 Apr;53(2):256–258. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.53.2.256. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hughes J. R. Clonidine, depression, and smoking cessation. JAMA. 1988 May 20;259(19):2901–2902. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hughes J. R., Hatsukami D. K., Mitchell J. E., Dahlgren L. A. Prevalence of smoking among psychiatric outpatients. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Aug;143(8):993–997. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.8.993. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Istvan J., Matarazzo J. D. Tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine use: a review of their interrelationships. Psychol Bull. 1984 Mar;95(2):301–326. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Jobes D. A., Berman A. L., Josselson A. R. Improving the validity and reliability of medical-legal certifications of suicide. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1987 Winter;17(4):310–325. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1987.tb00071.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Kandel D. B., Davies M. Adult sequelae of adolescent depressive symptoms. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986 Mar;43(3):255–262. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800030073007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Kaplan S. L., Landa B., Weinhold C., Shenker I. R. Adverse health behaviors and depressive symptomatology in adolescents. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1984 Sep;23(5):595–601. doi: 10.1016/s0002-7138(09)60353-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Levi F., Bulliard J. L., La Vecchia C. Suicide risk among incident cases of cancer in the Swiss Canton of Vaud. Oncology. 1991;48(1):44–47. doi: 10.1159/000226893. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Louhivuori K. A., Hakama M. Risk of suicide among cancer patients. Am J Epidemiol. 1979 Jan;109(1):59–65. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112659. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Paffenbarger R. S., Jr, King S. H., Wing A. L. Chronic disease in former college students. IX. Characteristics in youth that predispose to suicide and accidental death in later life. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1969 Jun;59(6):900–908. doi: 10.2105/ajph.59.6.900. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Pérez-Stable E. J., Marín G., Marín B. V., Katz M. H. Depressive symptoms and cigarette smoking among Latinos in San Francisco. Am J Public Health. 1990 Dec;80(12):1500–1502. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.12.1500. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rosenberg M. L., Davidson L. E., Smith J. C., Berman A. L., Buzbee H., Gantner G., Gay G. A., Moore-Lewis B., Mills D. H., Murray D. Operational criteria for the determination of suicide. J Forensic Sci. 1988 Nov;33(6):1445–1456. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ross R. K., Bernstein L., Trent L., Henderson B. E., Paganini-Hill A. A prospective study of risk factors for traumatic deaths in a retirement community. Prev Med. 1990 May;19(3):323–334. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(90)90032-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Roy A., Linnoila M. Alcoholism and suicide. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1986 Summer;16(2):244–273. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1986.tb00354.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Roy A. Suicide in chronic schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry. 1982 Aug;141:171–177. doi: 10.1192/bjp.141.2.171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Sainsbury P., Jenkins J. S. The accuracy of officially reported suicide statistics for purposes of epidemiological research. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1982 Mar;36(1):43–48. doi: 10.1136/jech.36.1.43. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Shiffman S. Relapse following smoking cessation: a situational analysis. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1982 Feb;50(1):71–86. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.50.1.71. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Stack S. The sociological study of suicide: methodological issues. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1987 Summer;17(2):133–150. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1987.tb01026.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Stafford M. C., Weisheit R. A. Changing age patterns of U.S. male and female suicide rates, 1934-1983. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1988 Summer;18(2):149–163. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1988.tb00149.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Stampfer M. J., Willett W. C., Speizer F. E., Dysert D. C., Lipnick R., Rosner B., Hennekens C. H. Test of the National Death Index. Am J Epidemiol. 1984 May;119(5):837–839. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113804. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Stefanis C. N., Kokkevi A. Depression and drug use. Psychopathology. 1986;19 (Suppl 2):124–131. doi: 10.1159/000285143. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Stephens B. J. Suicidal women and their relationships with husbands, boyfriends, and lovers. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1985 Summer;15(2):77–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1985.tb00643.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Waal-Manning H. J., de Hamel F. A. Smoking habit and psychometric scores: a community study. N Z Med J. 1978 Sep 13;88(619):188–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Warburton D. M. Nicotine and the smoker. Rev Environ Health. 1985;5(4):343–390. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Willett W. C., Browne M. L., Bain C., Lipnick R. J., Stampfer M. J., Rosner B., Colditz G. A., Hennekens C. H., Speizer F. E. Relative weight and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol. 1985 Nov;122(5):731–740. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114156. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Willett W. C., Green A., Stampfer M. J., Speizer F. E., Colditz G. A., Rosner B., Monson R. R., Stason W., Hennekens C. H. Relative and absolute excess risks of coronary heart disease among women who smoke cigarettes. N Engl J Med. 1987 Nov 19;317(21):1303–1309. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198711193172102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES