Smoking rates in individuals with mental health disorders are much higher than in the general population. Persons with mental health disorders have a life expectancy 8 years shorter than the general population, and recent evidence suggests that much of this difference could be because of smoking. The results of a recent study showed that smoking cessation is associated with significant improvements in symptoms of depression and anxiety and significant increases in positive affect and psychological quality of life. It is possible that smokers assume that because smoking alleviates negative feelings, smoking a cigarette has improved their mental health when in fact it was smoking that caused these problems. Read more