Cannabis, inhalant, and prescription drug use were each linked to teen suicidality in Arkansas
Among Arkansas high school students, prescription drug abuse had the strongest association with suicidality, followed by inhalant abuse, then cannabis use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Using the 2011 Arkansas Youth Risk Behavior Survey, researchers examined drug use prevalence and associations with suicidality among high school students. Three types of substance misuse were reported by more than 10% of students: cannabis (33.3% ever use), inhalants (18.7% ever use), and prescription drugs without a prescription (13.2% ever use).
All three substances were associated with suicide outcomes, but the strength of association varied: prescription drug abuse had the strongest link, followed by inhalant abuse, then cannabis. This ordering suggests that while cannabis use is the most prevalent, it may carry less suicide-specific risk than other common substances.
Key Numbers
Cannabis: 33.3% ever use. Inhalants: 18.7% ever use. Prescription drugs: 13.2% ever use. Association strength with suicidality: prescription drugs > inhalants > cannabis.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of the 2011 Arkansas Youth Risk Behavior Survey examining associations between three types of substance misuse and suicide outcomes (sadness, planning, attempts).
Why This Research Matters
Understanding which substances carry the strongest suicide risk associations helps prioritize prevention and screening efforts. While cannabis was the most commonly used substance, prescription drug abuse showed the strongest link to suicidality.
The Bigger Picture
The relative ranking of substances by suicide risk association (prescription drugs strongest, cannabis weakest among the three) is important context for school-based screening and prevention. The high prevalence of all three substances among Arkansas high schoolers reflects a broad substance use challenge.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design from a single state. Brief abstract with limited methodological detail. Self-reported data. Cannot establish causation between substance use and suicidality.
Questions This Raises
- ?What explains the different strengths of association between substances and suicidality?
- ?Would these findings replicate in other states?
- ?Are these associations mediated by depression, impulsivity, or other factors?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Prescription drug abuse showed the strongest suicide link; cannabis the weakest of three
- Evidence Grade:
- State-level survey data with brief analysis. Provides prevalence and association data but limited methodological detail.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2014 using 2011 survey data.
- Original Title:
- Sadness, suicide, and drug misuse in Arkansas: results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011.
- Published In:
- The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society, 110(9), 185-6 (2014)
- Authors:
- Kaley, Sean, Mancino, Michael J, Messias, Erick(5)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00814
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is cannabis use linked to suicide in teenagers?
In this Arkansas survey, cannabis use was associated with suicidality, but the association was weaker than for prescription drug or inhalant abuse. Cannabis was the most commonly used substance (33% ever use).
Which drug was most linked to teen suicide risk?
Prescription drug abuse without a prescription showed the strongest association with suicide outcomes, followed by inhalant abuse, then cannabis.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00814APA
Kaley, Sean; Mancino, Michael J; Messias, Erick. (2014). Sadness, suicide, and drug misuse in Arkansas: results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011.. The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society, 110(9), 185-6.
MLA
Kaley, Sean, et al. "Sadness, suicide, and drug misuse in Arkansas: results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011.." The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society, 2014.
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Sadness, suicide, and drug misuse in Arkansas: results from ..." RTHC-00814. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/kaley-2014-sadness-suicide-and-drug
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.