Trajectories of smoking behavior as a function of mood and satisfaction with life: What matters most?

•Longitudinal study (N=1957) of cigarette dependence, cessation, reduction, and relapse.•Mood and SWL as predictive factors of physical and psychological dependence.•Differential influence of mood on reduction, and SWL on relapse.•Treatments may thus tackle mood regulation, SWL, and nicotine dependence in tandem.

BackgroundWorldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year. The present study investigated possible preventative factors of nicotine dependence, such as mood and Satisfaction With Life (SWL).MethodsLongitudinal Internet survey of 1957 individuals assessed three times at a two week interval (2007-2010). Outcome measures: Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS), feeling prisoner to cigarettes, smoking cessation, reduction, and relapse. Predictors: Time (i.e. trajectory of dependence over time), smoking status (daily, occasional or ex-smoker), mood, and SWL. All measures were assessed at each time point.ResultsBoth SWL, and mood, respectively were significantly associated with dependence (slopeSWL=−0.03, slopeSWL=−0.11, ps<0.001). With respect to feeling prisoner to cigarettes, mood but not SWL showed a significant association (slopeSWL=−0.14, p<0.001). Occasional, and ex-smokers showed significantly greater decrease in psychological dependence, as mood increased, than daily smokers (slopeoccasional=−0.28, poccasional=0.011; slopeex=−0.27, pex<0.001). Smoking cessation decreased over time, and both mood, as well as SWL had a significant impact on cessation (ORmood=1.43, pmood<0.01, ORSWL=1.15, pSWL=0.042). Reduction in smoking was predicted by SWL only (ORSWL=1.21, p=0.043), whereas relapse was predicted by mood only (ORmood=0.55, p<0.01).LimitationsThe participants were self-selected. Possible confounding relationships (e.g., medication) have to be further assessed.ConclusionsCigarette dependence, feeling prisoner to cigarettes, cessation, and reduction are significantly influenced by both mood and SWL. Treatments may thus tackle mood regulation, SWL, and nicotine dependence in tandem.