Emotion Dysregulation and E-Cigarette Use Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Norms

Nicotine vaping has risen sharply among emerging adults, emphasizing the need to clarify psychosocial factors underlying regular and problematic use. This study examined whether emotion dysregulation (ED) is associated with vaping among university students and whether descriptive norms (perceived peer use) and injunctive norms (perceived peer approval) account for indirect associations linking ED and vaping. Canadian undergraduates ( N = 723; M age = 19.28, SD = 2.08; 78.1% female; 37.8% non-Caucasian) completed an online survey assessing vaping, perceived norms, and emotion dysregulation. ED was significantly associated with both past-30-day and problematic vaping. Students consistently overestimated peer vaping and approval. Descriptive norms for “typical students” showed significant indirect effects linking ED with both outcomes, whereas norms for same-gender peers, close friends, and all injunctive norms did not. Prevention efforts may benefit from combining emotion regulation skill-building with interventions targeting misperceived vaping norms among university students.