Características psicológicas associadas ao comportamento de fumar tabaco

Abstract

This article is a literature review of the psychological aspects of smoking behavior, highlighting personality characteristics of the smoker as an obstacle to smoking cessation. It describes the relationship between smoking behavior and personality, and between smoking and the principal psychiatric disorders. Studies reveal that smokers tend to be more extroverted, anxious, tense, and impulsive, and show more traits of neuroticism and psychoticism than do ex-smokers or nonsmokers. The literature also reveals a strong association between smoking and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression. Understanding the psychological factors associated with tobacco smoking and dependence can further the development and improvement of therapeutic strategies to be used in smoking-cessation programs, as well as of programs aimed at prevention and education. return to levels similar to those observed in controls. Excessive weight gain generally follows alterations in behavior and personality patterns, frequently manifested as depression, abstention, self-punishment, irritability, and aggression. Weight gain, together with increased stress, intensifies the impulse to eat, perpetuating the vicious cycle. At the moment, the three most widely accepted theories to explain the relationship between smoking and body weight are as follows: a) increased metabolic rate, with greater energy expenditure by smokers; b) differences in quality and quantity of food intake by smokers; c) appetite loss, via nicotine. (4,5) In this review article, emphasizing the personality profile of the smoker as an important obstacle to cessation, we describe the relationship between smoking and personality and, subsequently, the relationship between smoking and the principal psychiatric disorders. Smoking and personalityMost studies on the relationship between smoking and personality characteristics, in recent decades, were carried out according to the theoretical model proposed in 1967. (6) According to this approach, there are three predominant dimensions of character or personality supposedly related to smoking: extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism.The extroversion dimension comprises factors such as sociability, assertiveness, positive emotions, vivacity, and activity level. (7) It has been hypothesized that there is a relationship between extroversion and smoking. (6) In line with this interpretation, extroverts and introverts differ as to the level of necessary stimulation for their well-being. At equivalent stimulation levels, extroverts will be characterized by low cortical excitation, and introverts by high cortical excitation. At a medium level of stimulation, at which most daily activities occur, extroverts will more likely feel little stimulated, whereas introverts will feel highly stimulated. Since they operate below their ideal level of cortical excitation, extroverts might try to change their external environment through increased activity, or might try to change their internal environment by ingesting substances, su...

Qualidade de vida e características associadas: aplicação do WHOQOL-BREF no contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde

“…In agreement, other studies have observed that smokers have lower QOL rates when compared to nonsmokers, mainly in the psychological and social relationships domains, and the greater the tobacco-dependence level, the greater the QOL loss [42][43][44] . In the psychological domain, this result can be justified by the fact that some psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, are related to smoking and these could result in worse QOL [44][45][46][47] . In relation to the social relationships domain, smoking has changed from acceptable social behavior to a socially undesirable habit, and this has exerted a negative influence on social relationships 48 .…”

Ansiedade e baixo nível motivacional associados ao fracasso na cessação do tabagismo

“…Quanto maior for a intensidade dos sintomas apresentados pelos pacientes durante a abstinência, maiores serão as chances de fracasso no processo de cessação, com ou sem tratamento específico 37 . As características de personalidade do fumante ou algumas doenças psiquiátricas, como a ansiedade e a depressão, são fatores relacionados ao fracasso na cessação do tabagismo 38 . A ansiedade é a doença com maior frequência na psiquiatria (25% da população durante a vida), podendo ser definida como um estado emocional com componentes psicológicos e fisiológicos, sendo necessária e motivadora do desempenho 39 .…”

Affective temperaments in nicotine-dependent and non-nicotine-dependent individuals

“…Rezwanfard, Ekhtiari, Mokri, Djavid and Kaviani (2010) and Bloom, Matsko and Cimino (2014) detected a significant positive relationship between impulsivity and cigarette smoking. Other studies revealed a strong association between smoking and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety (Holma, Holma, Melartin, Ketokivi, & Isometsä, 2013;Lyvers, Carlopio, Bothma, & Edwards, 2013;Rondina, Gorayeb, & Botelho, 2007;Singh, Singh, & Singh, 2011;Talati et al, 2013). McChargue et al (2011) hypothesised that a high level of impulsivity, as a trait, may moderate the relationship between rumination and the number of major depressive episodes among cigarette smokers.…”