Adolescents who use e-cigarettes or conventional tobacco products are at a higher risk of experiencing depression and anxiety, according to a comprehensive study published in PLOS Mental Health.
A new study from West Virginia University reveals that adolescents who smoke or vape are significantly more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety than their peers who abstain from tobacco use.
Published in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health, this research shines a spotlight on the urgent need to address mental health among young tobacco users.
The researchers analyzed data from the 2021-2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, incorporating responses from 60,072 middle and high school students who completed all the questionnaires in full.
The findings indicate that 21.37% of these adolescents used tobacco products, with 9.94% exclusively using e-cigarettes, 3.61% using only conventional tobacco products (CTPs) like cigarettes or cigars, and 7.80% using both.
The study underscores the significant mental health disparities between tobacco users and non-users. Overall, 25.21% of respondents reported symptoms of depression, while 29.55% experienced anxiety symptoms.
Compared to their non-smoking counterparts, those who used either e-cigarettes or CTPs were more likely to report these mental health challenges. Notably, the highest risk was observed among adolescents who used both types of tobacco products.
Although the study did not establish causality, it underscores a crucial association that merits comprehensive attention.
“While causality cannot be determined, the results from this study showed that all forms of tobacco use were significantly associated with mental health issues,” concluded the authors. “There is a need to continue promoting mental health support and implementing tailored interventions to combat all forms of tobacco use among adolescents.”
The relationship between tobacco use and mental health is complex and bidirectional. Understanding how these factors interplay during adolescence — a critical period for the development of health-related behaviors — is essential.
This insight comes at a time when anxiety, depression and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents are on the rise, in parallel with evolving patterns of tobacco product usage.
Source: PLOS