Until now, there was a tendency to believe that smoking was, more than a cause, a "side effect" of schizophrenia: those affected would smoke more to alleviate symptoms such as anxiety or auditory hallucinations. But now, an analysis by King's College London that has reviewed 61 independent studies suggests that nicotine addiction could increase the chances of suffering from this serious mental disorder.
The conclusion is based on three pieces of information. First, 57% of schizophrenics were smoking when they experienced their first psychotic break. Second, habitual smokers are, according to this study, twice as likely to suffer from the disease compared to non-smokers. And finally, those who have acquired the unhealthy habit begin to suffer from schizophrenia a year earlier.
However, the researchers believe that a cause-and-effect relationship cannot yet be unequivocally established, and that more research is needed. If your suspicions are ultimately confirmed, it may be because nicotine disrupts the brain's production of dopamine , a neurotransmitter directly involved in schizophrenia.
