A recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders conducted by researchers in Pennsylvania has explored the relationship between social media use, mental health indicators, and the growing use of e-cigarettes among American youth. Their findings indicate that symptoms of anxiety and depression play a mediating role in the connection between social media use and e-cigarette use among the young population.
In the United States, approximately 2.55 million school students use e-cigarettes, making them the most popular tobacco product among the youth. While e-cigarettes can be valuable for smoking cessation, they contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals associated with lung and cardiovascular diseases. The study suggests that e-cigarette brands extensively use social media platforms to promote their products, positioning e-cigarettes as a seemingly superior alternative to traditional smoking. This marketing approach has led to a notable increase in e-cigarette use among social media users compared to non-users.
Mental health problems have also been associated with heightened experimentation and use of e-cigarettes among the youth. There is a higher likelihood of e-cigarette users experiencing mental health issues such as depression and stress. The study also highlights the greater influence of social media on the mental health of females compared to males. However, prior research has not adequately explored the potential influence of mental health condition indicators on the link between social media use and e-cigarettes among the youth.
To address this gap, the study aimed to investigate whether indicators of mental health conditions mediate the increased use of e-cigarettes associated with social media use among the youth while considering possible gender-based differences in the mediation process.
The study utilized data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), involving 23,445 middle and high school students in the United States. These students provided information through online forms, with nearly half of the sample (49.9%) being female. The students came from various racial backgrounds, with the majority being non-Hispanic White (55.7%), followed by Hispanic (25.6%), non-Hispanic Black (11.8%), and non-Hispanic Other (8.9%). The primary outcome assessed was e-cigarette use within the previous 30 days. The study also categorized the frequency of social media use into “never,” “sometimes,” “often,” and “very often.” Mental health condition indicators were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), a screening tool for anxiety and depression.
The study applied a potential outcomes framework to examine the mediation role of mental health condition indicators in the relationship between social media use and e-cigarette use. Additionally, gender-stratified analysis was conducted to explore potential gender-based differences.
The findings indicated that individuals who used social media “very often” were more likely to use e-cigarettes compared to those who used social media “sometimes” or “never.” When adjusted for individual characteristics and the mediating role of mental health condition indicators, the likelihood of using e-cigarettes was significantly higher in “very often” social media users. Gender-stratified analysis revealed that social media use had a more pronounced effect on e-cigarette use through mental health condition indicators among females than males.
The study’s results align with previous research and underscore the potential negative effects of excessive social media use on the mental health of young individuals, which could lead to increased e-cigarette use. The findings support the need for strategies and recommendations aimed at regulating social media use among the youth.
While this is the first study to link mental health condition indicators, social media use, and e-cigarette use among the youth, it is limited by the self-reported nature of the indicators, including anxiety and depression. Future research may expand to include non-school-going youth and investigate the biological mechanisms underlying the observed gender-based differences.
In conclusion, this study highlights the role of mental health condition indicators, particularly anxiety and depression, in the link between social media use and e-cigarette use among American school-going youth. It underscores the growing public health concerns associated with social media use and emphasizes the potential impact of increasing social media use on the physical and mental health of young individuals.
