Two adolescent cases highlight links between vaping, social stress, and mental health during COVID
Two case reports of teens who vaped nicotine and marijuana during the pandemic illustrate how social stressors, mental health symptoms, and polysubstance use intersect in adolescent vaping.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Both adolescent patients had underlying social stressors and mental health symptoms that contributed to vaping behavior. Addressing these root causes, rather than just the vaping itself, appeared important for treatment.
Key Numbers
Two adolescent cases detailed. Both involved nicotine and marijuana vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic with co-occurring mental health symptoms.
How They Did This
Two case reports from a managed care organization documenting clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why This Research Matters
The pandemic disrupted healthcare access for teens during a period of rising vaping rates. Understanding why teens vape and what interventions work is critical as both nicotine and THC vaping continue to grow.
The Bigger Picture
Adolescent vaping rarely happens in isolation. It typically co-occurs with mental health challenges, social stressors, and sometimes other substance use. Treatment approaches that address only the vaping behavior without tackling underlying issues are likely to fall short.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Only two cases from a single healthcare system. Cannot generalize to broader adolescent populations. COVID-19 context may not apply to post-pandemic adolescent vaping patterns.
Questions This Raises
- ?What evidence-based treatments are most effective for adolescent THC vaping specifically?
- ?How has adolescent vaping behavior changed since pandemic restrictions ended?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Social stressors identified as key drivers of adolescent vaping behavior
- Evidence Grade:
- Two case reports from a single institution. Illustrative but not generalizable.
- Study Age:
- Published 2023. Cases from the COVID-19 pandemic period.
- Original Title:
- Clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Published In:
- BMJ case reports, 16(11) (2023)
- Authors:
- Su, Alex, Albarran Garcia, Daisy, Li, Mandy, Ogbonna, Chinyere, Tsang, Thomas, Tsang, Alex, Bantug, Chynna, Tom, Wynnyee, Harris, Brooke
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04964
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do teens vape marijuana?
These cases suggest social stressors and mental health symptoms play a significant role. Teens may use vaping as a coping mechanism for anxiety, depression, or social difficulties, especially during periods of disruption like the pandemic.
How should teen vaping be treated?
The authors argue that simply targeting the vaping behavior is insufficient. Effective treatment should address underlying mental health symptoms, social stressors, and any polysubstance use. This requires comprehensive screening beyond just asking about vaping.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04964APA
Su, Alex; Albarran Garcia, Daisy; Li, Mandy; Ogbonna, Chinyere; Tsang, Thomas; Tsang, Alex; Bantug, Chynna; Tom, Wynnyee; Harris, Brooke. (2023). Clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.. BMJ case reports, 16(11). https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-255844
MLA
Su, Alex, et al. "Clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.." BMJ case reports, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-255844
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents ..." RTHC-04964. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/su-2023-clinical-course-and-treatment
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.