Daily cannabis use was linked to suicidal ideation through perceived burdensomeness, but only when combined with feelings of not belonging, supporting a psychological theory of how cannabis use connects to suicide risk.
Read this if you want to understand the psychological pathways between daily cannabis use and suicidal thinking.
Daily cannabis use linked to suicidal ideation through perceived burdensomeness + thwarted belongingness
What the researchers found
Among 209 current cannabis-using college students, daily users (n=39) had more suicidal ideation than less frequent users (n=160). The direct link between daily use and suicidal ideation disappeared after accounting for two interpersonal factors: perceived burdensomeness (feeling like a burden to others) and thwarted belongingness (feeling disconnected from others).
Specifically, daily cannabis use predicted suicidal ideation indirectly through perceived burdensomeness, but only when thwarted belongingness was also high. Neither factor alone explained the association. This pattern is consistent with the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), which posits that wanting to die requires both feeling burdensome and feeling disconnected.
Why it matters
This study moves beyond showing that cannabis use correlates with suicidality to identifying a psychological mechanism: interpersonal dysfunction. If daily cannabis use leads to feeling like a burden and feeling disconnected, and these feelings drive suicidal thinking, then interventions targeting social functioning in heavy cannabis users could reduce suicide risk.
The numbers in context
209 cannabis-using undergraduates. 39 daily users vs 160 less frequent users. 76.1% female. The indirect effect of daily cannabis use on suicidal ideation through perceived burdensomeness was significant only at higher levels of thwarted belongingness.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional moderated mediation analysis of 209 cannabis-using undergraduates (76.1% female). Daily users (n=39) were compared with less frequent users (n=160) on measures of suicidal ideation, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness from the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish temporal ordering. The sample was predominantly female college students, limiting generalizability. Daily users were a small group (n=39). Self-report measures of suicidal ideation may underrepresent true levels. The study cannot determine whether cannabis causes the interpersonal difficulties or vice versa.
How to read the evidence
Cross-sectional survey of college students. Tests a specific theoretical model but cannot establish causation due to the study design.
When this study was published
Published in 2017. The interpersonal-psychological approach to understanding cannabis-suicide links continues to be explored.
The bigger picture
The IPTS framework suggests that cannabis-related suicidality is not just a pharmacological effect of the drug but involves the social consequences of heavy use. Daily cannabis use may erode social connections and amplify feelings of being a burden, which in combination create suicidal desire. This social mechanism is potentially modifiable.
Questions still open
- Does reducing cannabis use improve perceived burdensomeness and belongingness? Would social skills interventions for daily cannabis users reduce suicidal ideation? Do these interpersonal mechanisms also apply to non-college daily cannabis users?
Common questions
Does cannabis cause suicidal thoughts?
What is the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide?
Read the original research
Cannabis use and suicidal ideation: Test of the utility of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide.
Psychiatry research, 253, 256-259
Citation
Buckner, Julia D; Lemke, Austin W; Walukevich, Katherine A. (2017). Cannabis use and suicidal ideation: Test of the utility of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide.. Psychiatry research, 253, 256-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.04.001
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