ArticleThe British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science2025
Association of volatile substance, nitrous oxide and alkyl nitrate use with mental health in UK adolescents.
Article in The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Substance Use Disorders and the Psychosis Spectrum: Assessment, Clinical Challenges and Management.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Social determinants of health in recreational nitrous oxide use: a narrative review.BMJ public health · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
background'Inhalants' have been associated with poorer mental health in adolescence, but little is known of associations with specific types of inhalants.
aimsWe aimed to investigate associations of using volatile substances, nitrous oxide and alkyl nitrates with mental health problems in adolescence.
methodWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from 13- to 14-year-old adolescents across England and Wales collected between September 2019 and March 2020. Multilevel logistic regression examined associations between lifetime use of volatile substances, nitrous oxide and alkyl nitrates with self-reported symptoms of probable depression, anxiety, conduct disorder and auditory hallucinations.
resultsOf the 6672 adolescents in the study, 5.1% reported use of nitrous oxide, 4.9% volatile solvents and 0.1% alkyl nitrates. After accounting for multiple testing, adolescents who had used volatile solvents were significantly more likely to report probable depressive (odds ratio = 4.59, 95% CI 3.58, 5.88), anxiety (odds ratio = 3.47, 95% CI 2.72, 4.43) or conduct disorder (odds ratio = 7.52, 95% CI 5.80, 9.76) and auditory hallucinations (odds ratio = 5.35, 95% CI 4.00, 7.17) than those who had not. Nitrous oxide use was significantly associated with probable depression and conduct disorder but not anxiety disorder or auditory hallucinations. Alkyl nitrate use was rare and not associated with mental health outcomes. Adjustment for use of other inhalants, tobacco and alcohol resulted in marked attenuation but socioeconomic disadvantage had little effect.
conclusionTo our knowledge, this study provides the first general population evidence that volatile solvents and nitrous oxide are associated with probable mental health disorders in adolescence. These findings require replication, ideally with prospective designs.
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