What Happens to Anxiety Levels on Giving Up Smoking?

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: DSM-IV lists increased anxiety as a nicotine withdrawal symptom. Increased anxiety has been reported to follow smoking cessation in most but not all studies. Indeed, there is some evidence for a reduction in anxiety, compared with precessation levels, after the first few weeks of abstinence. This study reports data from 101 smokers who attempted to stop smoking and who satisfied DSM-III-R criteria for nicotine dependence. METHOD: Unlike most studies in this area, a strict criterion of lapse-free abstinence was adopted. It is argued that lapses during an attempt at cessation may underlie a transient increase in anxiety. Anxiety was measured both by a single rating typical in withdrawal studies and by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory—State Form X. Patients were rated 2 weeks and 1 week before cessation, immediately before cessation, 24 hours after cessation, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after cessation. RESULTS: Seventy patients were abstinent for the 4-week follow-up period. There was no evidence o...

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