Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found people ages 20 and older with depression are twice as likely as others to be cigarette smokers. And, as the severity of depression increased, so did the number of cigarettes.
Researchers say the magnitude of the link was surprising.
Exactly why depressed people tend to smoke more was beyond the scope of the study. But, some research has suggested they might be self medicating with the cigarettes, somehow acting as a calming or relaxing mechanism.
