Depression, anxiety, stress, and current e-cigarette use: Results from the Truth Longitudinal Cohort of youth and young adults (2022-2023)

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between depression, anxiety, and stress, as measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) scale, with current e-cigarette use.

Methods: Data from the Truth Longitudinal Cohort - a nationally representative sample of youth and young adults - was collected between October 2022 to February 2023. The analytic sample was comprised of participants who provided information on e-cigarette use and the DASS-21 scale (N = 4198). Chi-square statistics were used to determine differences by current e-cigarette use across covariates and DASS-21 items. Logistic regression analyses were applied to the cross-sectional data to determine which scales predicted current e-cigarette use, adjusted for the effects of age, gender identity, race and ethnicity, parental educational attainment, perceived financial situation, and current use of alcohol, marijuana, and other tobacco use.

Results: Those who had severe/extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress had greater odds of current e-cigarette use, relative to those who had normal levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, even after adjusting for covariates. Results also demonstrated associations between age, race/ethnicity, parental education, and current use of alcohol, marijuana, and other tobacco products with current e-cigarette use.

Limitations: Cross-sectional analyses of self-reported data limit the ability to determine directionality of effects between depression, anxiety, stress, and current e-cigarette use.

Discussion: More severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were associated with a greater likelihood of current e-cigarette use. Future research is needed to evaluate changes in e-cigarette use, in response to depression, anxiety, and stress symptomatology.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; E-cigarettes; Electronic nicotine delivery systems; Stress; Young adults; Youth.