A recent study led by Emily Hackworth, a 2024 graduate of the Arnold School’s Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, and co-authors has found that youth (ages 16–19) with internalizing mental health symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, sadness, loneliness) are more likely to turn to nicotine products (particularly electronic cigarettes) than their peers. Published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, the study also revealed that the pandemic and its aftermath has likely played a role in this relationship.