Despite skin cancer risks, indoor sunlamps are still wildly popular among young adults. And according to a new study in Archives of Dermatology some of those seeking repeated exposure to UV light may be displaying behaviour similar to alcoholics and drug addicts.

Catherine Mosher and Sharon Danoff-Burg, surveyed 229 college students who use indoor tanning facilities with modified versions of two questionnaires that screen for substance abuse. They asked the students – who use salons an average of 23 times a year – questions such as: Do you ever get annoyed when people tell you not to use tanning beds or booths? When you wake up in the morning, do you want to use a tanning bed or booth? Have you ever missed work, a social engagement, or school because of a burn from tanning bed or booth use?

“From a public health perspective, the findings suggest that there may be a subgroup of individuals who are addicted to indoor tanning and have an underlying mood disturbance,” study author Mosher from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, told Reuters.

Among those who used indoor tanning, at least 39% met the criteria for addiction on one of the criteria and 30% met the criteria on the other. Students who met criteria for indoor-tanning addiction also reported greater symptoms of anxiety and use of alcohol and marijuana. “Both tanning indoors and the use of substances are thought of as a way to regulate emotions, or cope with distressing emotions,” says Mosher (Time).

The study was only able to note the connections between tanning and other factors like anxiety and substance use, and there is no way to tell if one of these behaviours actually leads to the other, says Mosher (Reuters).

Treating an underlying mood disorder may be a necessary step in reducing skin cancer risk among those who frequently tan indoors, the authors wrote. Anxiety or depression patients could be referred to mental health professionals.

“If, for some people, tanning is a way to cope with emotions, then there are obviously healthier ways to do so than going to tanning salons every week,” Mosher told HealthDay.

Image: tanning bed photo by Whatsername? via Flickr under creative commons.