Depressed Adolescents Twice as Likely to Vape

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A study on vaping behavior among Australian high school students has found those who reported severe depressive symptoms were over twice as likely to have tried e-cigarettes compared to those reporting no depressive symptoms.

Data showed overall higher e-cigarette use among those with poorer mental health, including severe depressive symptoms, moderate and high stress, and low well-being.

The researchers surveyed over 5,000 Year 7 and 8 students from 40 schools in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia in 2023 (May–October), creating one of the largest datasets on adolescent vaping currently available in the country.

Out of the 5,157 students who took part in the study, 8.3% reported having used e-cigarettes before.

E-cigarette use was also 74% higher for students who reported moderate stress and 64% higher for people who reported high levels of stress.

E-cigarette use was also 105% higher for students who reported low well-being compared to high well-being. Anxiety symptoms were not associated with e-cigarette use.

The data were drawn from a survey within the “OurFutures Vaping Trial,” the first and currently only clinical trial of a school-based e-cigarette prevention program in Australia.

The results, published in Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, are consistent with research in other age groups and countries, including the United States that has linked adolescent e-cigarette use with depressive and anxiety symptoms and stress.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-depressed-adolescents-vape.html