July 10, 2015

tobacco and schizophrenia

People with schizophrenia are more likely to be cigarette smokers. The hotly-debated question is why this might be. Suggested explanations include self-medication, counteracting symptoms, and reducing boredom or distress. Until recently, little attention has been paid towards the possibility that cigarettes themselves may increase the risk of psychosis.

Researchers have used a meta-analysis to assess whether daily tobacco use, or starting smoking at an earlier age, is associated with an increased risk of psychotic illnesses. The results are published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

The authors came to the SMC to answer questions such as:

• How strong is the correlation between smoking and schizophrenia?
• Is this data able to tell us whether smoking causes psychosis? If not, what more needs to be done?
• If the data does suggest causation – how does it compare to other factors such as genetics, being an immigrant, living in a city or using skunk?
• Were any studies excluded from the meta-analysis – and if so, why?
• How surprising are these findings and what are the implications?

Roundup comments accompanied this briefing.

Speakers:

Dr James MacCabe, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Psychosis Studies, King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Dr Sameer Jauhar, Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist and Research Fellow, King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Prof. Sir Robin Murray, Professor of Psychiatric Research, King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience