Depressed Teenagers Are More Likely to Vape

Adolescents experiencing severe depressive symptoms may be more than twice as likely to have tried e-cigarettes than those without depressive symptoms, a new study suggests.

The study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry suggests overall higher e-cigarette use among adolescents with poorer mental health.

E-cigarettes, also called e-cigs or vapes, are tobacco-free but contain a highly addictive chemical, nicotine. When consumed during adolescence, nicotine can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Young people who vape are also more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.

The researchers used data from more than 5,000 Year 7 and 8 students from 40 schools in Australia drawn from a survey within the OurFutures Vaping Trial, a clinical trial of a school-based e-cigarette prevention program in Australia.

Of 5,157 adolescents surveyed, 8.3% reported having used e-cigarettes before.

Moreover, e-cigarette use was 105% higher for students who reported low well-being compared to high well-being.

“More research is needed to understand the complex relationship between mental health and vaping, however these findings highlight the urgent need for prevention and early intervention approaches, backed by evidence, to support both the short- and long-term health and wellbeing of young people,” says Dr. Lauren Gardner from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre, a co-lead of OurFutures Vaping Trial.

Researchers say the findings are consistent with research in the United States that has linked adolescent e-cigarette use with depressive and anxiety symptoms and stress.

As nicotine can reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, teenagers may use vapes as a coping mechanism. Social, environmental, and genetic risk factors can also explain the relationship between vaping and poorer mental health.

“Regardless of whether mental ill-health influences smoking or vice-versa, it is clear that if we are to prevent vaping onset, we need to address mental health at the same time,” says Emily Stockings, an associate professor at the Matilda Centre and the study co-author.

About 2.13 million American middle and high school students reported current use of e-cigarettes, according to a 2023 survey. While the full range of risks posed by vaping is yet to be understood, it is crucial to take preventative measures against the use of e-cigarettes in young adults.