University of Richmond Psychology Professor Exploring Link Between Smoking Cessation and Panic Disorder
December 19, 2005
By Jen Lehner
Smokers might be more likely to experience panic disorder when they try to quit, according to a University of Richmond psychology professor.
For two years, Ken Abrams, assistant professor of psychology, has been conducting a study to determine if smoking is a risk factor in panic disorder and if new techniques for quitting are needed.
“I bring heavy smokers in withdrawal into the lab, have them re-breathe a carbon dioxide gas mixture that is medically safe but often causes panic attacks in individuals with panic disorder, then measure their anxiety level, Abrams explains.
Abrams has been looking at the co-occurrence of substance use and anxiety disorders since he entered graduate school at the University of Minnesota, where he worked on a study examining the role of anxiety disorder in alcoholism relapse. He believes the Minnesota study could be the basis for discovering a similar failure in smokers’ attempts to quit.
“We wanted to learn how to optimize the limited resources in alcoholism treatment facilities,” Abrams says. “We found that those individuals with an anxiety disorder at the beginning of treatment were significantly more likely than the others to relapse to drinking over the course of the four months.”
The Minnesota study followed 53 people who entered an in-patient alcoholism treatment facility over four months, periodically assessing their psychiatric status and drinking patterns.
“Our findings suggested that individuals who suffer from both alcohol dependence and an anxiety disorder might not maximally benefit from standard treatment in such facilities,” he explains. “Persisting anxiety disorder may lead to the self-medication of the anxiety symptoms with alcohol.”
The researchers found that a simple screening procedure for anxiety disorders, combined with specialized treatment for those who meet diagnostic criteria, could be a cost-effective solution.