Depression, hopelessness, and suicide attempts before age 10 predicted marijuana initiation by age 15
In the ABCD Study, children who experienced hopelessness, depression, or suicide attempts before ages 9-10 were significantly more likely to initiate marijuana use by ages 14-15, even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Baseline hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts at ages 9-10 were all significant predictors of tobacco and marijuana use initiation at ages 14-15. These associations remained robust after adjusting for demographic factors, family characteristics, and neighborhood socioeconomic status, indicating independent effects of early emotional problems on adolescent substance use initiation.
Key Numbers
ABCD Study participants; baseline ages 9-10; follow-up ages 14-15; hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts all predicted marijuana initiation; effects robust after adjusting for demographics and SES
How They Did This
ABCD Study data with baseline emotional problems assessed at ages 9-10 through structured parent interviews. Substance use (tobacco and marijuana initiation) tracked to ages 14-15 using structured self-report. Structural equation modeling controlled for demographics, family, and neighborhood SES.
Why This Research Matters
This longitudinal evidence demonstrates that the seeds of adolescent marijuana use are planted years earlier in childhood emotional distress. Identifying and treating depression and hopelessness in elementary school-age children could be an upstream prevention strategy for adolescent substance use.
The Bigger Picture
Substance use prevention typically targets adolescents, but these findings suggest the vulnerable window begins much earlier. Children showing signs of emotional distress in elementary school are already on a pathway toward substance use, making early childhood mental health intervention a substance use prevention strategy.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Parent-reported emotional problems at baseline may underestimate child experiences. Self-reported substance use at follow-up may also be underreported. SEM assumes causal ordering but other factors may explain both early emotional problems and later substance use. Cannabis initiation does not equal problematic use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would early mental health intervention for depressed children reduce marijuana initiation rates?
- ?Are specific types of emotional problems (hopelessness vs depression vs suicidality) more strongly predictive?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Emotional problems at age 9-10 predicted marijuana initiation at 14-15
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative longitudinal study with structured assessments and SEM provides moderate evidence of temporal sequence, though unmeasured confounders and measurement limitations remain.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication from the ongoing ABCD Study
- Original Title:
- Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence.
- Published In:
- Open journal of medical sciences, 5(1), 18-31 (2025)
- Authors:
- Assari, Shervin(3), Najand, Babak(3), Sheikhattari, Payam
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05965
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can childhood depression lead to teenage marijuana use?
This study found that children with depression, hopelessness, or suicide attempts before age 10 were more likely to start using marijuana by age 15. While this shows a predictive relationship, it cannot prove that treating childhood depression would prevent marijuana use.
Were family and economic factors ruled out?
The associations remained significant even after controlling for demographic factors, family characteristics, and neighborhood socioeconomic status, suggesting early emotional problems have independent effects beyond social and economic disadvantage.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05965APA
Assari, Shervin; Najand, Babak; Sheikhattari, Payam. (2025). Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence.. Open journal of medical sciences, 5(1), 18-31. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
MLA
Assari, Shervin, et al. "Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence.." Open journal of medical sciences, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Pre..." RTHC-05965. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/assari-2025-childhood-depression-hopelessness-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.