Smoking Characteristics in Bipolar Disorder: A Comparison Study with Schizophrenia

Lee, Kang Soo; Chun, Duk Hee; Kim, Ji Hye; Kim, Hyun Jin; Cho, Hyun Sang

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to investigate smoking characteristics and nicotine dependence severity in bipolar disorder comparing those of schizophrenia.
METHODS
70 bipolar and 123 schizophrenic patients, diagnosed using DSM-IV-TR criteria and treated at the Severance Mental Health Hospital, were interviewed regarding socio-demographic variables, smoking characteristics and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), designed to evaluate the intensity of smoking.
RESULTS
The rate of current smoking was 60.0% in the bipolar group, and 50.4% in the schizophrenia group. No significant difference was seen in terms of the rate of current smoking between the groups. Rates of having ever smoked also did not differ between bipolar (73%) and schizophrenic patients (65%). Daily cigarette consumption of bipolar patients (15.9 cigarettes/day) was significantly lower than that of schizophrenic patients (21.2 cigarettes/day), but FTND score didn't appear to differ between bipolar and schizophrenic patients. Bipolar females showed higher rate of current smoking (44%) than schizophrenic females (17%). Among bipolar patients, antipsychotics dose was not correlated with daily cigarette consumption and FTND total score. Age of disease onset didn't appear to differ between smokers and non-smokers in bipolar group.
CONCLUSION
Although daily consumption was significantly lower in the bipolar group, the rate of smoking and smoking severity in bipolar disorder were as high as in schizophrenia. This fact suggests that the bipolar disorder might be related to the nicotinic acetylcholine system dysfunction as like schizophrenia.