Vaping and mental health: Men, mentally ill more likely to take up habit - study

A new study by University of Otago researchers has revealed the psychological factors most likely to have non-smokers reaching for a vape as a lifestyle choice.

Led by psychological scientists Professor Tamlin Conner and Andre Mason and published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, the study found men were 52 per cent more likely to take up vaping as adults, and those with mental health issues were 43 per cent more likely, amid other factors.

Conner said they hoped the research could help provide tailored support to those in need.

“There has been a lot of work on understanding ... smoking, drug use, alcohol, but because vaping is still relatively new, there’s not a lot on how psychological processes can contribute to this particular health behaviour.”

The study focused on those who were taking up the habit from scratch, rather than using vapes to wean themselves off cigarettes, and analysed longitudinal data of more than 36,000 New Zealand adults from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study.

People with lower levels of self-control were 21 per cent more likely to start vaping, and extroverts were 9 per cent more likely.

Economic deprivation increased the likelihood of vaping by 7 per cent,

Māori and young people under 25 and were also more likely to take up the habit, although the study was limited because the sample included fewer people from those demographics.

Conner said there were still plenty of middle-aged adults taking up vaping as a lifestyle choice.

“I hate to say [vaping is] just all around bad, but it’s becoming an increasingly public health issue. It’s becoming more and more popular.

“You see people taking it up and using it as a lifestyle choice rather than using it as a smoking cessation device, so we wanted to add a psychological angle to this rather than just simply documenting the pattern.”

It could be difficult to channel people into healthier alternatives sometimes, but the research they had carried out could be used to inform who to intervene with and how, she said.

“You can imagine tailoring an intervention to speak to a certain population of individuals who might have mental health issues or ... issues with self-control, impulse control and even extroversion.”

For example, public health campaigns to try to prevent vaping could be tailored to social environments, and focus on ways to spend time with people that did not involve reaching for a vape.

“You can imagine tailoring an intervention to speak to a certain population of individuals who might have mental health issues or ... issues with self-control, impulse control and even extroversion.”

For example, public health campaigns to try to prevent vaping could be tailored to social environments, and focus on ways to spend time with people that did not involve reaching for a vape.

Vaping uptake factors

Male: 52 per cent more likely

Mental health issues: 43 per cent more likely

Lower self-control: 21 per cent more likely

Higher extroversion: 9 per cent more likely

Economic deprivation: 7 per cent more likely