[Smoking as a form of self-medication for depression or anxiety in young adults: results of a mixed-methods study].

Tobacco use and mental health problems in the depression/anxiety spectrum often begin in adolescence as co-occurring phenomena. Epidemiologically, the relationship between them is bidirectional, but in the case of young people it appears to be explained best by the unidirectional self-medication hypothesis. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between tobacco use, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and the perception of adolescents and young adults concerning tobacco use as a form of self-medication. A sample of 105 young people between the ages of 17 and 21 years was selected from a longitudinal sociological study to create three groups of participants: 1) subjects with a previous diagnosis of depression or anxiety; 2) subjects with self-perceived but undiagnosed distress compatible with depression or anxiety; 3) and a group of control. A mixed quantitative/qualitative questionnaire on substance consumption was administered, as well as the BDI-II depression scale, the GHQ anxiety and depression scales, and the MISS (Mannheim Interview on Social Support) scale. The final results show that the subjects experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety in adolescence start smoking later than subjects in the control group, and those who smoke give self-medication as the main reason for doing so. The association between habitual tobacco use and BDI scores for depression was not statistically significant for the sample as a whole, only for the male participants (OR: 6,22, IC 95%, 1,06-36,21, p=.042). Anti-smoking campaigns targeting young people should take into consideration their use of tobacco as a form of self-medication for emotional distress.