Secondhand smoke exposure across the life course and the risk of adult-onset depression and anxiety disorder

IntroductionThe aim of this paper was to investigate the association between childhood and adulthood exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and depression, panic attack, and generalized anxiety disorder among adults in the United States over a 10-year period.MethodsData were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) Waves 1 and 2 (N=2053). Self-reported childhood and adulthood SHS exposure at Wave 1 (1994) was examined in relation to incident depression, panic attack, and generalized anxiety disorder 10 years later at Wave 2 (2005).ResultsChildhood SHS alone was not associated with mood and anxiety disorders in adulthood. Exposure to SHS in both childhood and adulthood was associated with increased depression and panic attack in adulthood. These associations did not appear to be due to confounding.LimitationsSHS exposure was measured via self-report; biological data confirming exposure were not collected. More objective measures of SHS exposure are needed in future studies.ConclusionsIn summary, persistent exposure to SHS across the life course may be associated with increased risk of depression and panic attacks. Our results are consistent with prior findings and extend earlier results by showing a relationship between SHS exposure and mental health problems over time. Replication with biological measures of SHS over time is a necessary next step toward better understanding the pathways explaining these relationships.