Teen vaping rates are doubled by stress and depression

Each year, a new spotlight shines on the different facets of youth culture - whether it's the newest fashion trend, the hottest technology, or the latest mental health concern.

For the last couple of years, experts have illuminated a growing phenomenon: the widespread use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, among teens.

But there's an added complication that's now emerging, and it's one that chills the blood a bit more than the cool vapor these devices expel.

Teens, vaping, and mental health

Concerning evidence from a recent study on vaping behavior among Australian high school students has revealed a distressing link between depressive symptoms and the likelihood of e-cigarette use.

The research shows that students who reported severe depressive symptoms were more than twice as likely to have used e-cigarettes than those who reported none of these symptoms.

A broad brush was used in this study, not narrowing in on one specific mental health issue but casting a wider net to include facets like severe depressive symptoms, moderate and high stress levels, and low well-being.

The data painted a consistent picture: higher e-cigarette use among those with poorer mental health.

Mental health and vaping prevention

This data serves as a wake-up call for the need to address mental health hand-in-hand with vaping prevention, precisely at the critical juncture when these issues first rear their heads - early adolescence.

The research team surveyed over 5,000 7th and 8th grade students across 40 schools in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia from May to October 2023.

By doing so, they created one of the largest datasets on adolescent vaping in Australia, and the results offer us valuable insights.

Teen vaping rates

Ultimately, 5,157 students contributed to the study, of which 8.3 percent admitted to having used e-cigarettes before.

But here's the crunch: e-cigarette use was 74 percent higher among students who reported moderate stress. In those reporting high levels of stress, it was 64 percent higher.

And when we look at students reporting low well-being, e-cigarette use jumps to a staggering 105 percent higher compared to their counterparts with high well-being.

Surprisingly, anxiety symptoms seemed to break this trend, showing no association with e-cigarette use .

OurFutures vaping trial

The data collected was part of a larger initiative - the OurFutures Vaping Trial. This initiative holds the distinction of being the first, and currently only, clinical trial of a school-based e-cigarette prevention program in Australia.

Under the stewardship of Dr. Lauren Gardner from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre and Professor Nicola Newton, the OurFutures Vaping Trial aims to test if vaping uptake can be thwarted in Australian adolescents.

Gardner highlights the lack of data that exists on the relationship between adolescent vaping and mental health, particularly within the unique Australian context.

This is alarming, considering the concurrent rise of vaping and mental health issues among youth . Hence, there is a sense of urgency to navigate this complex landscape and to develop prevention and early intervention strategies.

Building a global perspective

The findings of this study are not exclusive to Australia. They echo the results of research conducted in the United States and other countries, which show a link between adolescent e-cigarette use and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

“There is a growing body of evidence of a relationship between vaping and mental health: vaping has been linked with the onset of mental health problems, and vice versa,” noted co-author Associate Professor Emily Stockings from the Matilda Centre.

“Although not explored in our study, it is possible that this relationship can be explained by shared social, environmental and genetic risk factors, or it may point to possible self-medicating behaviors.

“In the short term, nicotine may reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, and young people may be reaching for vapes as a coping mechanism.

“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.”

The study is published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry .

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