European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

THE USE OF E-CIGARETTES AMONG CHILDREN AGED 13-18 AND THEIR POSSIBLE EFFECT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEPRESSION

Dustun Field* and Yuliya Modna

ABSTRACT

Since they first hit the market in 2004, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have presented a global health hazard to the adolescent population. They inflict multi-organ damage to the body, and cause lasting addiction. Purpose of Study: To determine if there is a link between e-cigarette usage in adolescents and its possible effect on the development of depression. Research objectives: To determine if there is any possible trends in e-cigarette usage and reported depression. To compare between e-cigarette and c-cigarette in terms of their potency to cause depression. Results: E-cigarette usage in the adolescent population is positively correlated with depression with an overall Odds Ratio (oOR) of 1.63 [95%CI 1.17, 2.26]. When filtered for studies with data on multiple distinct age groups, the 8th grade/14 year old demographic had the highest likelihood of depression in every tested category (exclusive e-cigarette, exclusive c-cigarette, and dual usage). When filtered for comparable studies exclusive e-cigarette usage was found to be less likely to cause depression (oOR)=1.41 [95%CI (1.15, 1.72)] than exclusive c-cigarette usage oOR= 2.31 [95%CI (1.77, 3.01)] or dual usage 2.22 [95%CI (1.73, 2.85)]. Conclusion: The literature review indicated a positive correlation between e-cigarette usage and depression in adolescents. The younger teens are more likely to be affected due to the effect of nicotine on the developing brain. The older population is converting to exclusive c-cigarette and dual usage perhaps as a method of self-medication.

Keywords: “Electronic cigarettes”, “Vaping”, “Tobacco”, “Adolescent”, “Depression”, “Mental health”