Resumo

RONDINA, Regina de Cássia; BOTELHO, Clóvis  e  GORAYEB, R.. The psychology of smoking: a review of the literature. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2002, vol.3, n.2, pp.179-189. ISSN 1645-0086.

The present study is a review of the literature concerning the relationship between psychological profile and smoking during the last decades. Studies have shown that smokers tend to be more extroverted, anxious, tense, impulsive, and present more traces of neuroticism, psychosis, a history of depressive disorders and traces of anxiety than ex-smokers and non-smokers. An increasing body of evidence even suggests that the prevalence of smoking is higher in subjects with psychopathological signs and symptoms, particularly subjects with schizophrenia. However, this relationship is still not completely understood and further studies are required to prove these results. An increased understanding of this subject can help the work of health professionals such as doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists, among others. The identification of personality traits that prevent individuals from giving up smoking may help in the elaboration and improvement of therapies, for example, counseling techniques, in order to increase the possibility of successful treatment and to minimize relapse. In addition, knowledge about personality characteristics that favor the initiation of smoking may facilitate the elaboration and improvement of prophylactic educational/preventive programs against the initiation and progression of smoking.

Palavras-chave : Addiction; Nicotine; Personality; Smoking; Treatment.

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