Smoking is a major healthcare issue. Evidence shows considerable comorbidity between nicotine dependence and depressive disorders.

We are interested in the correlation between Beck's depression inventory (BDI) scores and smoking cessation outcomes.

Retrospective, transversal and analytical study. Data were collected from 95 patients followed in the smoking cessation consultation of The military hospital of Tunis. The BDI was used to assess depressive symptoms and nicotine dependence evaluated by Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND).

Population was composed of men (92%), married in 65% of cases, with a mean age of 45 ± 13 years. The mean age of smoking initiation was 18 ± 4.5 years. Regular smoking average was 37 ± 20 Packs/Year. The mean cigarette consumption was 30 ± 15 per day. Forty-two percent patients reported at least one attempt to quit smoking, with an average of 37.26 days of abstinence. The mean score of FTND test was 7 ± 2.31. The BDI score was higher than 3 in 86% of cases. Patients with severe depression (BDI > 15) had never attempted a withdrawal in 71% of cases (P = 0.009), had a high or very high dependence in 85.7% of cases (P = 0.016). The average of cigarettes per day was 40 (P = 0.035) and they had failed withdrawal in 79% of cases (P = 0.53).

There was a fairly consistent association between presence of depression and smoking severity. This suggests that for individuals with nicotine dependence who are interested in quitting smoking, assessment and treatment of depressive symptoms may improve smoking cessation outcomes.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.