The authors reported a considerable difference in anxiety levels among those who had successfully given up smoking compared those who had not.The successful quitters showed a drop in anxiety. The decrease in anxiety was particularly noticeable among the ex-smokers who used to smoke "to cope", compared to those who used to smoke "for pleasure".
Among those who started smoking again, those who smoked "for pleasure" experienced no change in anxiety levels after relapsing. However, the ones who smoked "to cope", as well as the participants with a diagnosed mental health problem showed an increase in anxiety.