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Depression may increase risk for e-cigarette use
Depressive symptoms were a predictor of e-cigarette use among college students in Texas, suggesting e-cigarettes may be part of a coping mechanism.
“This is the first study to establish a longitudinal relationship between elevated depressive symptoms and e-cigarette use,” Frank C. Bandiera, PhD, of University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, said in a press release.
To assess associations between e-cigarette use and depressive symptoms among college students, researchers surveyed 5,445 college students in Texas with follow-up at 6 months and 1 year.
Between 23.7% and 33.1% of participants reported a score of 10 or more on the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.
E-cigarette use was reported by 12.3% to 14.5% of participants during the study.
Analysis indicated that e-cigarette use did not predict increased depressive symptoms at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups. However, depressive symptoms predicted e-cigarette use at both follow-up time points.
“We don’t know why depression leads to e-cigarette use,” Bandiera said in the release. “It may be self-medication. Just like with cigarettes, when students feel stressed out, using e-cigarettes may make them feel better. Or it could be that [because] e-cigarettes have been marketed as a smoking cessation device, depressed students may be using e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking traditional cigarettes.” – by Amanda Oldt
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.