Abstract:

In this study, we aimed to determine anxiety in people seeking treatment to stop smoking and investigate the relationships between anxiety with addiction levels and socio-demographic factors. The study was designed to be prospective, cross-sectional and two-centered. Smokers aged 18 and over, who visited smoking-cessation outpatient policlinics at the Family Medicine Department between 01/06/2015 and 30/07/2015, were included in the study. Socio-demographic data, health status and smoking history were recorded, while the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and State and Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were applied, for each patient. The average number of cigarettes smoked per day was 23±11.5. According to the FTND, 58.4% (n=125) of the participants scored medium for nicotine dependence, whereas 46.7% (n=100) were normal in terms of anxiety, according to the BAI test. No significant correlation was found between the FTND result and the BAI or STAI. This study revealed that nearly half of the participants visiting smoking-cessation outpatient policlinics had anxiety. Female gender, low levels of education, and being single were determined to be risk factors for anxiety among smokers, which is important when considering the benefit versus risk balance of smoking-cessation treatment. While evaluating people who applied for smoking-cessation therapy, anxiety parameters should be considered, as they can affect the progress and success of treatment.      

Keywords: