A new study suggests that young people who vape or smoke cigarettes are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

Previous studies have linked tobacco use to poor mental health, but there has not been enough research to examine the relationship between vaping and smoking and mental health in young people.

The study authors, from West Virginia University, said that knowing about this connection is important because young people are at a critical stage of development when health-risk habits begin to emerge.

In the study, published in the journal PLOS Mental Health, researchers used data on tobacco use and symptoms of depression and anxiety across demographics from the National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted between 2021 and 2023.

The survey included 60,072 middle and high school students. 21.31% of students reported using tobacco products, 9.94% reported using e-cigarettes. Only 3.61% reported using traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and pipes, while 7.80% reported using both e-cigarettes and traditional products.

Overall, 25.21% of students in the survey reported symptoms of depression, while 29.55% reported symptoms of anxiety.