(Press-News.org) Adolescents who use either e-cigarettes or conventional tobacco products (CTP)—like cigarettes, cigars, hookah and pipes—are significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety than teens who don’t use tobacco products at all, according to a study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Noor Abdulhay of West Virginia University, USA, and colleagues.
Tobacco use and mental health challenges are known to have a complex, bidirectional relationship. Understanding the interplay between adolescent tobacco use and mental health is particularly important, since adolescence is a critical developmental period during which many health-related risk-taking behaviors begin. Moreover, there are increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide among adolescents in the U.S. as well as shifting patterns of tobacco use.
In the new study, researchers used data on tobacco use, depression and anxiety symptoms, among different demographics, from the 2021-2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Among the 60,072 middle and high school students who had completed all questionnaires in full, 21.37% had used tobacco products, with 9.94% using only e-cigarettes, 3.61% using only CTPs, and 7.80% using both.
Overall, 25.21% of respondents reported symptoms associated with depression and 29.55% reported anxiety symptoms. Compared to adolescents who had not used any tobacco products, users of e-cigarettes or CTPs displayed a potentially heightened risk of depression and anxiety, whilst those who used both CTPs and e-cigarettes had the highest odds of reporting mental health struggles
The authors conclude that “while causality cannot be determined, the results from this study showed that all forms of tobacco use were significantly associated with mental health issues. There is a need to continue promoting mental health support and implementing tailored interventions to combat all forms of tobacco use among adolescents”.
###
In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Mental Health: https://plos.io/4kNFlLO
Citation: Abdulhay N, Wiener RC, Wen S, Gibbs BB, Bhandari R (2025) Mental health outcomes associated with electronic cigarette use, combustible tobacco use, and dual use among U.S. adolescents: Insights from the National Youth Tobacco Survey. PLOS Ment Health 2(7): e0000370. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000370
Author Countries: United States
Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
END
Teen smokers and vapers have higher rates of depression and anxiety, study finds
Study analyzed data from the U.S. National Youth Tobacco Survey on more than 60,000 middle and high school students
2025-07-23
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Immunity to seasonal flu protects against severe illness from bird flu in ferrets
2025-07-23
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The fatality rate for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans historically has been high, with more than half of people dying. Why, then, is the current H5N1 bird flu outbreak — which has caused massive die-offs in wild birds, farmed poultry and even wild mammals — causing mostly mild symptoms in the people it has infected? New research, led by scientists at Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh and published today (July 23) in the journal Science Translational Medicine, indicates that immunity to a seasonal influenza virus known as pandemic H1N1 that began circulating ...
Innovative imaging tool could improve diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss
2025-07-23
Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a tool routinely used to diagnose and plan treatment for eye diseases, has now been modified to collect images of the inner ear. A proof-of-concept study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that OCT imaging can measure fluid levels in the inner ear, which correlate with a patient’s degree of hearing loss. The findings were just published in Science Translational Medicine.
“These findings are exciting because hearing loss can happen very suddenly, and we often don’t know ...
Researchers develop new microscope for neurovascular coupling imaging
2025-07-23
Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the dynamic regulation of cerebral blood flow in response to neural activity. Specifically, when neurons become active, nearby blood vessels dilate to increase blood supply, thereby meeting the heightened energy demands associated with neural activity.
NVC is essential for maintaining normal brain function and plays a critical role in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)—such as systems for controlling robotic arms or cursors.
Unfortunately, conventional ...
Scientists propose AI-driven biotech model for future crop breeding
2025-07-23
In a major step toward securing global food supplies and advancing sustainable agriculture, a team of scientists has proposed an integrated framework that combines biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize crop breeding.
Published in Nature on July 24, the review was co-corresponding authored by Prof. GAO Caixia from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. LI Guotian of Huazhong Agricultural University, with contributions from ...
Collaborative initiative highlights successes and challenges in global bioethics training
2025-07-23
PHILADELPHIA (July 23, 2025) – A new Penn Nursing initiative explores the impact of federally funded international bioethics training programs. The collaborative initiative, published in the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, highlights both the significant achievements and ongoing challenges in building bioethics research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The collaboration, led by Connie M. Ulrich, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Lillian S. Brunner Chair in Medical and Surgical Nursing in Penn Nursing’s Department of Biobehavioral ...
A device developed at the EHU makes it simple to obtain platelet-rich plasma
2025-07-23
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a fraction of blood plasma; its concentration of platelets is of great value in regenerative medicine as they are essential in accelerating healing and repairing tissue. Until now, obtaining them has been based on centrifugation techniques which, in addition to being expensive, could activate the platelets prematurely and reduce their effectiveness.
“We realised that our device not only separated the plasma, but also obtained very high-quality PRP, with functional and minimally activated platelets,” explained ...
Scientists discover brain switch that controls freeze-or-flight survival instincts
2025-07-23
Scientists discover brain switch that controls freeze-or-flight survival instincts
Leuven, Belgium, 23 July 2025 – Researchers have identified a key neural switch that controls whether animals instinctively flee from a threat or freeze in place. By comparing two closely related deer-mouse species, they found that this switch is calibrated by evolution to match the animal's habitat. This neural circuit is hypersensitive in mice living in densely vegetated environments, causing instant escape, but less responsive in their open-field cousins, who are more likely to freeze. In doing so, the research team uncovered an important way in which evolution fine-tunes the brain for survival.
Flee ...
Complex genetic variation revealed in diverse human genomes
2025-07-23
Genome assemblies from 65 individuals, representing a variety of the world’s populations, are advancing the scientific exploration of complex genetic structural variation.
Structural variations are genetic code alterations that span more than 50 base pairs, the rungs on the DNA ladder. These changes were hard to detect until the recent advent of newer sequencing technologies and analytical algorithms, as well as larger collections of more complete, diverse genomes.
Results from the latest work in this area, conducted by the Human Genome Structural Variation Consortium with participants ...
The most complete view of the human genome yet sets new standard for use in precision medicine
2025-07-23
An international team of scientists has decoded some of the most stubborn, overlooked regions of the human genome using complete sequences from 65 individuals across diverse ancestries. The study, published online today in Nature and co-led by The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), reveals how hidden DNA variations that influence everything from digestion and immune response to muscle control—and could explain why certain diseases strike some populations harder than others.
This milestone builds on two foundational studies that reshaped the field of genomics. In 2022, ...
A ‘wonder’ fossil changes our understanding of reptile evolution
2025-07-23
Body coverings such as hair and feathers have played a central role in evolution. They enabled warm-bloodedness by insulating the body, and were used for courtship, display, deterrence of enemies and, in the case of feathers, flight. Their structure is characterised by longer and more complex skin outgrowths that differ significantly from the simple and flat scales of reptiles. Complex skin outgrowths have previously only been observed in mammals in the form of hair and in birds and their closest fossil relatives, dinosaurs and pterosaurs, in the form of feathers. An international team led by palaeontologists Dr Stephan Spiekman and Prof Dr Rainer Schoch from the State ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Dancing alleviated perceived symptoms of depression and helped to understand its root causes
Tricky treats: Why pumpkins accumulate pollutants
Revealing the molecular structures of sugars using galectin-10 protein crystals
World’s leading medical journal details the climate emergency
GLP-1 drugs effective for weight loss, but more independent studies needed
Researchers uncover previously unexplored details of mosquito’s specialized detection mechanisms
Stem cell therapy linked to lower risk of heart failure after a heart attack
The NHS is reaching a crisis point in consultant recruitment, new report warns
UNM research suggests Halloween fireballs could signal increased risk of cosmic impact or airburst in 2032 and 2036
Biochar’s hidden helper: Dissolved organic matter boosts lead removal from polluted water
Sunlight turns everyday fabrics into ocean microfibers, new study finds
Antibiotics linked to lower risk of complications after obstetric tear
Rapid blood pressure fluctuations linked to early signs of brain degeneration in older adults
How microbes control mammalian cell growth
Emergency department pilot program serves rural families
Amid renewable-energy boom, study explores options for electricity market
Study finds improvement in knee pain with exercise and physical therapy
Researchers uncover key mechanism behind chemotherapy-induced nerve damage
Mayo Clinic researchers find enhancing the body’s ‘first responder’ cells may boost immune therapy for cancer
Secret to a long life? In bowhead whales, a protein repairs damaged DNA
MIT study: Identifying kids who need help learning to read isn’t as easy as A, B, C
Plant biomass substance helps combat weeds
Veterans with epilepsy after traumatic brain injury may have higher mortality rates
Who is more likely to lose vision due to high brain pressure?
Scripps Research professor awarded $3.2 million to advance type 1 diabetes research
Anna Wuttig wins Bayer Foundation Early Excellence in Science Award
Electric vehicles outperform gasoline cars in lifetime environmental impact
Kilimanjaro has lost 75 percent of its natural plant species over the last century
Spider web “decorations” may help pinpoint location of captured prey
Ancient tombs reveal the story of Chinese history
[Press-News.org] Teen smokers and vapers have higher rates of depression and anxiety, study findsStudy analyzed data from the U.S. National Youth Tobacco Survey on more than 60,000 middle and high school students