Bipolar patients who smoke run a greater risk of suicide than those who don’t. A recent study at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that not only do bipolar patients who smoke have more suicidal thoughts than others, but they also are more likely to attempt suicide within the next nine months.

Dr. Michael J. Ostacher and a team of colleagues used a standard measure of suicidal thoughts on 116 bipolar patients, of which 31 where smokers. During the course of the study, 16 percent of the smokers in the study attempted suicide, in comparison to 3.5 percent of non-smoking participants who attempted suicide [Reuters].

How smoking tobacco affects the mental illness is unclear. Smoking in and of itself is not a predictor of suicidal behavior. In Ostacher's team believes it is the heightened impulsivity of some patients that accounts for their proclivity towards suicidal behavior and smoking.

When these patients were also tested to gauge their tendency towards impulsive behavior, those with higher scores of impulsivity correlated with cigarette smoking. Impulsivity is a symptom of bipolar disorder and can lead to reckless behavior. Patients can also have mood swings like heightened euphoria that can give way to crippling depression and even suicide.

The study does not indicate that smoking is the cause of suicidal behavior in bipolar patients, but knowing those patients who smoke are at a greater risk can help doctors provide better treatment. Smoking can be seen as a "clinical marker" for greater risk of suicidal behavior [Reuters].

It's unknown whether their impulsivity will make it more difficult to quit than the average smoker or if quitting smoking would lessen their suicidal behavior. 5.7 million adults are affected by bipolar disorder in America alone, and 90 percent of Americans who commit suicide every year are suffering from a mental disorder [NIMH]. These numbers are the reason Dr. Ostacher has been studying substance abuse in patients with bipolar or depression for years.

Source: Examiner.Com

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