“People with first episodes of psychosis were three times more likely to be smokers,” said a statement from King’s College London’s Department of Psychosis Studies, which took part in the meta-analysis. “The researchers also found that daily smokers developed psychotic illness around a year earlier than non-smokers. “It has long been hypothesised that higher smoking rates among psychosis sufferers could be explained by people seeking relief from boredom or distress, or self-medicating against the symptoms or side-effects of antipsychotic medication. But if this were so, researchers would expect smoking rates to increase only after people had developed psychosis.

– AFP

Source: Can smoking drive you mad? Study suggests it might

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