Among 451 Latinx LGB youth, cannabis use was a significant predictor across all three levels of suicidality: ideation (OR 1.76), planning (OR 2.46), and attempts (OR 3.12), with the strongest association for actual suicide attempts.
Clinicians working with LGBTQ+ youth, suicide prevention specialists, and school counselors.
OR 3.12 for suicide attempts
What the researchers found
Cannabis use was a significant independent predictor of suicidal ideation (OR 1.76), suicide planning (OR 2.46), and suicide attempts (OR 3.12) among Latinx LGB adolescents, even after controlling for bullying, sexual assault, and depression. The association strengthened across the suicidality continuum from ideation to attempt.
Why it matters
Latinx LGB youth face intersecting risk factors for suicidality. Cannabis use emerged as one of the strongest independent predictors, particularly for suicide attempts, suggesting it should be considered in suicide risk assessment for this population.
The numbers in context
451 Latinx LGB youth. Suicidal ideation: 40%. Planning: 34%. Attempts: 21%. Cannabis use ORs: ideation 1.76, planning 2.46, attempts 3.12. Other predictors: bullying, sexual assault, depression.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional analysis of 451 self-identified Latinx LGB participants from the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. Backward elimination logistic regression examined predictors at each level of suicidality.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported data. Cannabis use frequency and amount not specified. Other substance use not fully controlled. The sample came from a school-based survey, excluding youth not in school.
How to read the evidence
Rated moderate because this uses nationally representative survey data, though the cross-sectional design and self-report measures limit causal inference.
When this study was published
Published in 2019 using 2017 YRBSS data.
The bigger picture
The gradient effect, where cannabis use showed progressively stronger associations from ideation to planning to attempts, suggests the relationship may be more than just shared risk factors. It raises questions about whether cannabis use specifically facilitates the progression from thinking about suicide to acting on it.
Questions still open
- Does cannabis use facilitate progression from suicidal thoughts to actions? Would reducing cannabis use reduce suicide risk in this population? Are these findings specific to Latinx LGB youth or generalizable?
Common questions
Is cannabis use linked to suicide risk in teens?
Does cannabis cause suicidal behavior?
Read the original research
Suicide ideation, planning, and attempts: the case of the Latinx LGB youth.
Health promotion perspectives, 9(3), 198-206
Citation
Boyas, Javier F; Villarreal-Otálora, Tatiana; Alvarez-Hernandez, Luis R; Fatehi, Mariam. (2019). Suicide ideation, planning, and attempts: the case of the Latinx LGB youth.. Health promotion perspectives, 9(3), 198-206. https://doi.org/10.15171/hpp.2019.28
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