Anxiety and depression symptoms following smoking cessation and/or brief alcohol treatment among moderate risk smokers and drinkers

The goal of this study was to examine the change in anxiety and depression symptoms following a smoking cessation and brief alcohol intervention. Participants were 620 hospital out-patients (males = 97.7%; 33.6 years of age, SD = 11.6), in Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand, who screened positive for moderate risk for tobacco and alcohol use. The patients were involved in a randomised controlled trial comparing smoking cessation treatment that integrated a brief alcohol intervention consisting of smoking cessation treatment only or brief alcohol intervention only. Alcohol use and smoking, and anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, and 3 and 6-month following treatment. Findings from generalised estimation equations (GEE) analysis suggested that overall anxiety and depression scores to be significantly reduced following treatment. The tobacco only intervention significantly reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, while the alcohol only intervention significantly reduced depression symptoms. Smoking abstinence significantly reduced anxiety and depression symptoms and low risk alcohol use significantly reduced anxiety symptoms but not depression symptoms. Smoking cessation and/or brief alcohol treatment may be accompanied by improved psychological well-being.