Teenagers who vape or smoke cigarettes are more likely to report feelings of depression and anxiety, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS Mental Health. Researchers at West Virginia University analysed data from the 2021-2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which included 60,072 middle and high school students.
The survey found that 21.31 per cent of respondents used tobacco products, with 9.94 per cent using e-cigarettes, 3.61 per cent using conventional tobacco products only, and 7.80 per cent using both. Overall, 25.21 per cent reported depression symptoms and 29.55 per cent reported anxiety symptoms. Those who used any form of tobacco had higher odds of reporting mental health struggles, with combined users facing the highest risk.
In the UK, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) estimates that 1.1 million young people aged 11 to 17 vape and 100,000 smoke. Meanwhile, one in six young people in England aged five to 16 experienced a mental health problem in 2020, up from one in nine in 2017. The study authors concluded that while causality cannot be determined, all forms of tobacco use were significantly associated with mental health issues, and called for continued mental health support and tailored interventions to combat adolescent tobacco use.
Dr Lion Shahab, a chartered member of the British Psychological Society, noted that the study may not have controlled for important factors such as family history of mental health problems, which could explain the association. However, he agreed that addiction itself may be detrimental to mental health, citing evidence of high levels of addiction among teenage vapers. Dr Johnathan Livingstone-Banks, a researcher at the University of Oxford, emphasised that correlation does not imply causation, as young people with poor mental health may be more likely to experiment with vaping and smoking. Nonetheless, he added that there is evidence in adults that quitting smoking can improve mental health.
