Cannabis Dependence Was Strongly Linked to Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Among 319 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans, lifetime cannabis dependence was associated with nearly 8-fold increased odds of post-deployment suicide attempts, even after controlling for PTSD, depression, pain, and other substance use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Lifetime cannabis dependence was significantly associated with post-deployment suicide attempts (AOR=7.963, p=.014) after controlling for pre-deployment suicide attempts, PTSD, depression, pain, non-cannabis substance use disorder, and gender. This is the first evidence that heavy cannabis use may be a unique risk factor for suicide in veterans.
Key Numbers
319 veterans studied. Cannabis dependence associated with AOR=7.963 for post-deployment suicide attempts (p=.014). Controlled for pre-deployment attempts, PTSD, depression, pain, other substance use, and gender.
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of 319 veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires assessed cannabis dependence, suicide attempts, PTSD, depression, pain, and other substance use.
Why This Research Matters
Veteran suicide is a public health crisis. While some veterans use cannabis to self-medicate PTSD and pain, this study suggests cannabis dependence (not casual use) may independently increase suicide risk, complicating the risk-benefit calculation.
The Bigger Picture
This finding creates tension with the growing movement to provide veterans access to medical cannabis for PTSD. While cannabis may help some symptoms, this study suggests that heavy use progressing to dependence could increase suicide risk.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Retrospective design with recall bias. Relatively small sample. Cannot determine causation. Cannabis dependence may be a marker for severity of underlying conditions. Self-selected veteran sample may not be representative.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does cannabis dependence cause suicide risk or merely mark more severe mental health problems?
- ?Would medical cannabis programs with monitoring prevent dependence and associated risks?
- ?Is the risk specific to dependence or present at lower use levels?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis dependence was associated with 8-fold increased odds of suicide attempts (AOR=7.963), even after controlling for PTSD and depression.
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate - controlled for key confounders including pre-deployment attempts, but retrospective design and relatively small sample.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Use Disorder and Post-Deployment Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans.
- Published In:
- Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research, 23(4), 678-687 (2019)
- Authors:
- Adkisson, Kelsie, Cunningham, Katherine C, Dedert, Eric A(4), Dennis, Michelle F, Calhoun, Patrick S, Elbogen, Eric B, Beckham, Jean C, Kimbrel, Nathan A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01897
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis increase suicide risk in veterans?
This study found cannabis dependence (not casual use) was associated with nearly 8-fold increased odds of post-deployment suicide attempts, even after accounting for PTSD, depression, pain, and other substance use. However, the study cannot prove causation.
Should veterans with PTSD use cannabis?
This study raises a caution: while cannabis may help some PTSD symptoms, progressing to cannabis dependence was strongly associated with suicide risk. The authors suggest heavy cannabis use may be a unique risk factor that warrants monitoring.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01897APA
Adkisson, Kelsie; Cunningham, Katherine C; Dedert, Eric A; Dennis, Michelle F; Calhoun, Patrick S; Elbogen, Eric B; Beckham, Jean C; Kimbrel, Nathan A. (2019). Cannabis Use Disorder and Post-Deployment Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans.. Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research, 23(4), 678-687. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2018.1488638
MLA
Adkisson, Kelsie, et al. "Cannabis Use Disorder and Post-Deployment Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans.." Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2018.1488638
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Use Disorder and Post-Deployment Suicide Attempts i..." RTHC-01897. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/adkisson-2019-cannabis-use-disorder-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.