The Relationship between Psychological Symptoms and Nicotine Dependence Level
Mustafa Koç, T. Seda Çolak, Betül Düşünceli, Naciye Güven, Neslihan Arıcı, Emine Göçet

Abstract
Background and Aims: The main aim of this study is to examine whether or not nicotine dependency level differentiates in terms of psychological symptoms. Psychological symptoms can be classified under three categories: symptoms of anxiety disorders, mood disorders and psychotic disorders. Anxiety disorder includes somatization, obsessive compulsive, general anxiety and phobic symptom. Mood disorder consists of depressiveness, interpersonal sensitivity and hostility symptoms. Psychotic disorder includes paranoid thoughts and psychosis symptoms. Method: The study was conducted with 77 participants (28 female, 49 male) . “Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Scale” and “Brief Symptom Inventory” were used to collect data. Results: As a result of the study, it was found that nicotine dependency level differentiates in obsessive compulsive, general anxiety, psychosis, paranoid thoughts and insomnia and anorexia significantly and positively. Obsessive compulsive and general anxiety branch of anxiety disorder significantly increase the level of nicotine dependency. Depressiveness, interpersonal sensitivity and hostility symptoms branch of mood disorders differentiate with regard to the nicotine dependency level but this differentiation was not statistically significant. Paranoid thought, psychosis, anorexia and insomnia symptoms branch of psychotic disorders significantly differentiate with regard to the nicotine dependency level.

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