Marijuana Use Is Associated With Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among US Adolescents at Rates Similar to Tobacco and Alcohol

Abstract

This study used data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey to examine the association between adolescent marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol use and suicidal ideation and attempts over a period of six years (2011–2017), as attitudes and laws became more permissive of marijuana use. We used logistic regression to control for possible confounders, estimate marginal prevalence ratios (PR’s), and assess changes over time. Marijuana was more strongly associated with suicide attempts than ideation, and more frequent use was associated with significantly greater risk. The effect has not changed substantively since 2011, despite changing attitudes toward marijuana. Marijuana is broadly comparable to other substances: results for tobacco were similar, though frequent alcohol use had a significantly stronger association than other substances.

Keywords:

• Adolescent
• alcohol
• cannabis
• tobacco
• suicide
• attempted

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Mr. Kahn, a graduate student, was supported by the NIMH T32 Mental Health Services and Systems Training Program [Grant # T32MH109436] at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and by NIMH [Grant # F31MH120973].

Notes on contributors

Geoffrey D. Kahn

Geoffrey D. Kahn and Holly C. Wilcox, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

Holly C. Wilcox

Geoffrey D. Kahn and Holly C. Wilcox, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA