‘Inhalants’ have been associated with poorer mental health in adolescence, but little is known of associations with specific types of inhalants.

We aimed to investigate associations of using volatile substances, nitrous oxide and alkyl nitrates with mental health problems in adolescence.

We 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.

Of 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.

To 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.