University of Sydney Study Finds Depressed Students Twice as Likely to Vape

An individual vaping an electronic cigarette in Paris. Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images

A University of Sydney study has found that students who are depressed are twice as likely to vape compared to those without symptoms.

The study surveyed more than 5,000 year seven and eight students from 40 schools in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia between May and October 2023, creating one of the largest datasets on adolescent vaping in Australia.

Researchers discovered that 8.3 percent of the 5,157 students surveyed (428 students) had used vapes.

Vaping was 74 percent more common among students reporting moderate stress and 64 percent more common among those experiencing high levels of stress.

Additionally, vaping was 105 percent more prevalent among students with low well-being compared to those with high well-being.

Anxiety symptoms, on the other hand, were not linked to e-cigarette usage.

The baseline data for this study was taken from the OurFutures Vaping Trial, Australia’s first and only controlled trial of school-based e-cigarette prevention.

Lauren Gardner, co-leader of the OurFutures Vaping Trial at the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre, said more research was required to understand the relationship between mental health and vaping.

“There is a lack of data on the links between adolescent vaping and mental health, especially in the unique Australian context,” Gardner said.

“It was important we addressed this as we are witnessing both vaping and mental ill-health increase among young people.

“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.”

Associate Professor Emily Stockings, also from the Matilda Centre, added that 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,” co-author Stockings said.

“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 behaviours.”

She said in the short term, “nicotine may reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, and young people could 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,” she said.

The results were published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

Vaping Requires a Conversation With a Health Professional

The Federal government banned the sale, supply, and importation of non-therapeutic vapes in Australia on July 1, 2024.

As a result, individuals must now consult with a doctor and obtain a prescription for a therapeutic vape from a local pharmacy.

“People under 18 will always need to do this,” the government stated.

However, starting Oct. 1, those over 18 will be available to obtain vaping products after discussing their use with a pharmacist, without needing a prescription.

Therapeutic vaping products will be kept behind the counter, with tightly controlled nicotine concentrations and dispensing quantities. Packaging will be plain and pharmaceutical-like, and flavours will be restricted to tobacco, menthol, and mint.

Pharmacists will also need to verify photo IDs and discuss the health risks with customers.

American Study Find a Similar Link

Meanwhile, a separate study of 2,505 teens led by the American Heart Association also drew a link between vaping and mental health conditions.

This research revealed that nicotine-only vapers, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-only vapers, and vapers of both nicotine and THC were more likely to report anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to their peers.

More than half of these vapers reported experiencing symptoms of depression, compared to just 25 percent of non-vapers.

In another key finding, 60 percent of these vapers self-reported anxiety symptoms, compared to 40 percent who had never vaped.

These anxiety symptoms were widespread among THC-only vapers. THC is the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, which is illegal in most states and territories of Australia.

The researchers also found that about 20 percent of nicotine-only vapers and dual vapers started vaping to cope with depression and continue to do so for this reason.

American Heart Association deputy chief science and medical officer Rose Marie Robertson said future research is required to examine the long-term connections between mental health and vaping.

“There is also an urgent need for effective communication campaigns and educational programs to increase understanding among youth and young adults of the risks of using e-cigarettes.”

Loren E. Wold, Assistant Dean for Biological Health Research at Ohio State University College of Nursing, added that this study demonstrated the striking significance of issues with mental health in users of both nicotine and THC vapes.

“As new products continue to come on the market, I think that this is something that we will continue to see,” she said.

“These products were developed as smoking cessation tools for those that use traditional cigarettes, so I’m very curious now what the implications are with mental health in users who are using these products to help stop smoking.”