CSAAW presents "Smoking and depression co-morbidity: modeling prevalence, disparities, and intervention"

Abstract:

Smoking and mental illness are leading contributors to mortality and morbidity in the U.S. They are also significantly associated with each other, with substantially higher rates of smoking among people with mental illness compared to the general population. Depression in particular is a commonly occurring mental disorder. Research shows that comorbidity of smoking and depression are subject to feedback effects, as depression is known to predict future smoking, while smoking also predicts future depression. To date, there has been little evidence on the health gains associated with interrupting this dynamic through interventions that target patients with depression. If implemented, cessation treatment for smokers with depression could lead to even greater improvements to population health. However the population benefit of integrating cessation treatment into mental health care has not yet been estimated. I develop the first joint model of smoking and depression co-morbidity in the US, projecting future patterns of smoking and depression through 2050.This model can analyze the independent and synergistic effects of intervention strategies on smoking, depression, and mortality outcomes.