---
title: "Psych News Alert: Smoking Cessation Linked With Multiple Mental Health Benefits, Study Finds"
description: Stopping smoking is associated with significant improvements in anxiety, depression, stress, positive affect, and psychological quality of l...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/smoking%20cessation_172509605-Jun-24-2025-07-16-16-6819-PM.jpg
---

 3/24/14 12:00 AM

# Smoking Cessation Linked With Multiple Mental Health Benefits, Study Finds

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/smoking-cessation-linked-with-multiple.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/smoking-cessation-linked-with-multiple.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/smoking-cessation-linked-with-multiple.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/smoking-cessation-linked-with-multiple.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/smoking-cessation-linked-with-multiple.html)

| ![Broken Cigarette](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/smoking%20cessation_172509605-4.jpg?width=132&height=200&name=smoking%20cessation_172509605-4.jpg) |  |
| --- | --- |

Stopping smoking is associated with significant improvements in anxiety, depression, stress, positive affect, and psychological quality of life. And the strength of the association appears to be similar for both the general population and clinical populations, including those with psychiatric disorders, according to findings from a meta-analysis reported in the [*British Medical Journal*](http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g1151) by Paul Aveyard, a professor of behavioral medicine at the University of Oxford in England, and colleagues.

The meta-analysis included 26 studies that measured subjects' mental health before and after they quit smoking. The studies examined six measures of mental health: anxiety, depression, mixed anxiety and depression, positive affect, psychological quality of life, and stress. Eleven of the studies were cohort studies, 14 were secondary analyses of cessation interventions, and one was a randomized trial.

"This study illustrates the importance of providing tobacco-cessation treatment to individuals with behavioral health conditions, to help with both improvement in symptoms of mental illness and overall physical health," Lori Raney, M.D., told *Psychiatric News*. "Psychiatrists have an important role to play in assisting in this treatment and can provide guidance and support to patients and in helping our colleagues in other medical settings." In addition to being medical director of Axis Health System in Durango, Colo., Raney has a special interest in the relationship between smoking cessation and mental health.

More information about the importance of smoking cessation for patients with mental illness can be found in the *Psychiatric News* articles "[Decline in Smoking Lags Among Patients With Mental Illness](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=1827804)" and "[Smoking Cessation for Patients Called an Urgent Priority](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=1828522)."

(Image: Dora Zett/Shutterstock.com)

[smoking cessation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking-cessation), [mental health](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-health)

## Related posts

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/cigarette_iStock-683701418-Jun-24-2025-07-24-47-4641-PM.jpg?height=200&name=cigarette_iStock-683701418-Jun-24-2025-07-24-47-4641-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/08/schizophrenia-patients-show-cognitive.html)

[schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [cigarettes](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cigarettes), [smoking](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking), [cognition](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cognition), [smoking cessation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking-cessation), [processing speed](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/processing-speed), [nonaffective psychosis](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/nonaffective-psychosis)

## [Schizophrenia Patients Show Cognitive Improvements After Smoking Cessation](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/08/schizophrenia-patients-show-cognitive.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 8/6/18 12:00 AM

Quitting cigarette smoking may improve processing speed in patients with schizophrenia, according...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/08/schizophrenia-patients-show-cognitive.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/CigButts_214726639-Jun-24-2025-09-28-00-3718-PM.jpg?height=200&name=CigButts_214726639-Jun-24-2025-09-28-00-3718-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/09/training-mental-health-clinicians.html)

[psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [smoking](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking), [Jill Williams](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jill-williams), [Psychiatric Services](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatric-services), [quitting smoking](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/quitting-smoking), [smoking and mental illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking-and-mental-illness)

## [Training Mental Health Clinicians Boosts Tobacco Treatment for Patients, Study Finds](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/09/training-mental-health-clinicians.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 9/17/14 12:00 AM

Training a range of mental health clinicians to deliver tobacco treatment services can increase use...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/09/training-mental-health-clinicians.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/cigarette_175557302-Jun-24-2025-06-20-51-5955-PM.jpg?height=200&name=cigarette_175557302-Jun-24-2025-06-20-51-5955-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/07/smoking-reduction-may-decrease.html)

[psychosis](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychosis), [depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression), [suicidal ideation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicidal-ideation), [smoking cessation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/smoking-cessation), [severe mental illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/severe-mental-illness)

## [Smoking Reduction May Decrease Suicidality in Patients With Psychosis](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/07/smoking-reduction-may-decrease.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 7/12/16 12:00 AM

People with severe mental illness are at heightened risk for both substance misuse and suicide, and...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/07/smoking-reduction-may-decrease.html)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert",
    "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T19:18:46.289Z",
  "datePublished" : "2014-03-24T04:00:00.000Z",
  "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Smoking Cessation Linked With Multiple Mental Health Benefits, Study Finds",
  "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/smoking%20cessation_172509605-Jun-24-2025-07-16-16-6819-PM.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/03/smoking-cessation-linked-with-multiple.html",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg"
    }
  }
}
```