Systematic Review of Electronic Cigarette Use (Vaping) and Mental health Comorbidity among adolescents and Young adults.

Introduction: This article is a systematic review of existing literature on the mental health comorbidities of electronic cigarette (EC) use among adolescents and young adults (aYa). The review aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between EC use and mental health problems in this population.

Key points:

* The review identified 40 articles that met the eligibility criteria, with 24 studies focusing on adolescents and 16 studies on young adults.
* The articles were categorized into three main categories: internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, and transdiagnostic concepts.
* The study found that EC use was associated with greater mental health problems, particularly among adolescents, compared to non-use.
* however, many of the existing studies are cross-sectional, making it difficult to establish causality or directionality.
* The mental health comorbidities of EC use generally parallel those of combustible cigarette use, with a few exceptions.
* The review highlights the need for well-designed longitudinal studies to investigate the long-term mental health sequelae of EC use.
* The findings suggest that mental health comorbidities of EC use should be considered in the development of prevention and treatment strategies.

Main message: The review provides compelling evidence that EC use is associated with a range of mental health problems in aYa, particularly among adolescents. While many of the existing studies are cross-sectional, the findings suggest that mental health comorbidities of EC use should be considered in prevention and treatment strategies. The review also highlights the need for further research, particularly well-designed longitudinal studies, to establish causality and directionality. Overall, the review underscores the importance of addressing mental health in EC prevention and treatment efforts.

Becker TD, arnold MK, Ro V, Martin L, Rice TR. Systematic Review of Electronic Cigarette Use (Vaping) and Mental health Comorbidity among adolescents and Young adults. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2021;23(3):415-425. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa171