Pathways between smoking and mental health

Previous research has suggested bi-directional links between smoking and mental health outcomes such as depression. However, it is unclear what the underlying mechanisms of these associations are. With this project, we aim to gain insight into two potential mechanisms: genetic and cardiovascular pathways. From a genetic perspective, we examine the effect of an age-of-sale reform for tobacco products on (the genetic liability to) smoking in adolescence and adulthood, and examine potential changes in associations between smoking and the environment and mental health. From a cardiovascular perspective, we examine associations between smoking, depression, and cardiovascular disease across the lifespan.