Nicotine withdrawal may be one potential cause of depression in people predisposed to getting depression, via nicotine sharing several biological pathways with depression. While depressed people may be more likely to smoke (e.g., Edwards et al., 2011), smoking may also cause depression, via nicotine withdrawal. There are several neurological pathways that depression and nicotine are associated with, such as hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, dopamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin related pathways. Nicotine withdrawal affecting these shared pathways may be one potential cause of depression.
Nicotine might be a potential cause of depression since mice can start to exhibit anxiety and depression symptoms, in addition to HPA axis activation…