Psychopathology and tobacco demand

•Smokers with psychopathology have higher tobacco demand intensity and Omax.•Smokers with an emotional disorder versus without have higher demand intensity.•Comorbid substance use disorder (SUD) was associated with higher intensity, Omax, and inelastic demand.•Two or more comorbid disorders are associated with higher demand intensity.

IntroductionBehavioral economic measurement of the relative value of tobacco (Cigarette Purchase Task; CPT) is used to examine individual differences in motivation for tobacco under certain contexts. Smokers with psychopathology, relative to those without, may demonstrate stronger demand for tobacco following a period of smoking deprivation, which could account for disparate rates of smoking and cessation among this subgroup.MethodParticipants (n = 111) were community-recruited adult daily smokers who completed the CPT after a deprivation period of approximately 60 min. Presence of psychopathology was assessed via clinical interview; 40.5% (n = 45) of the sample met criteria for past-year psychological diagnosis. Specifically, 31.5% (n = 35) had an emotional disorder (anxiety/depressive disorder), 17.1% (n = 19) had a substance use disorder, and 19.1% of the sample had more than one disorder.ResultsSmokers with any psychopathology showed significantly higher intensity (demand at unrestricted cost; $0) and Omax (peak expenditure for a drug) relative to smokers with no psychopathology. Intensity was significantly higher among smokers with an emotional disorder compared to those without. Smokers with a substance use disorder showed significantly higher intensity and Omax, and lower elasticity, reflecting greater insensitivity to price increases. Having ≥ 2 disorders was associated with higher intensity relative to having 1 or no disorders.DiscussionFindings suggest that presence of psychopathology may be associated with greater and more persistent motivation to smoke. Future work is needed to explore the mechanism linking psychopathology to tobacco demand.