People who manage to quit smoking feel less anxious afterwards, contradicting the common belief that smoking reduces stress levels, a new study has found.

UK scientists followed the progress of almost 500 people attending smoking cessation clinics. All attended weekly appointments over eight weeks and were given nicotine patches.

The participants had their anxiety levels assessed at the start of the study and all were asked about their motivation for quitting.

Six months later, almost 70 of the participants had managed to quit smoking successfully.

The study found a big difference in anxiety levels between those who had managed to quit and those who had returned to smoking. In fact, every one of the people who managed to stay off the cigarettes had decreased anxiety.

Those who admitted that they previously smoked ‘to cope' experienced a bigger fall in anxiety levels than those who said they smoked ‘for pleasure'.

Furthermore, among the participants who returned to smoking, those who said they smoked to cope actually experienced an increase in anxiety.

"The commonly held belief that smoking helps relieve stress is almost certainly wrong. Smokers need to understand how their experience of smoking affects them, and that in many people, smoking actually increases levels of anxiety," commented lead scientist, Dr Mairtin McDermott of King's College London.

The team suggested that those who smoke to cope are more likely to have a cigarette soon after waking. This is intended to ward off withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety. However by quitting smoking, these ongoing episodes of anxiety are removed, leaving people to feel less anxious overall.

Details of these findings are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.