Among 352 Colombian adolescents aged 12-18, cannabis and tranquilizer use were independently associated with suicidal behavior, alongside physical aggression, depression, affective instability, and borderline personality traits.
Child and adolescent psychiatrists, school counselors, suicide prevention researchers, Latin American public health officials.
Cannabis use was independently associated with suicidal behavior in Colombian teens
What the researchers found
Cannabis use (t=2.83, P<.05) and tranquilizer use (t=2.37, P<.05) had significant independent relationships with suicidal behavior. Physical aggression, cognitive and affective depression, affective instability, few social relationships, and self-harm were also independently associated. Depression and borderline personality traits were the strongest predictors of suicidal behavior.
Why it matters
Adolescent suicide is a growing concern in Latin America, and understanding the clustering of risk factors (substance use, depression, aggression, personality traits) helps identify who needs intervention. Cannabis use appearing as an independent predictor adds to the risk factor profile.
The numbers in context
N=352. Ages 12-18 (mean 15.09). Cannabis use t=2.83 (P<.05). Tranquilizer use t=2.37 (P<.05). Aggression t=2.59 (P<.05). Depression t=9.03 (P<.01). Borderline traits t=4.12 (P<.01).
How the study worked
Cross-sectional study of 352 adolescents aged 12-18 (mean 15.09) from a public and private school in Sincelejo, Colombia. Purposive sampling. Self-report instruments with t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine causation. Purposive sampling limits generalizability. Self-reported substance use and suicidal behavior. Two schools in one city may not represent broader populations. Cannabis use frequency and quantity not detailed.
How to read the evidence
Cross-sectional study with purposive sampling. Significant associations but causal direction cannot be determined.
When this study was published
Published in 2023.
The bigger picture
This study comes from a rural Colombian city, adding geographic diversity to the literature on adolescent cannabis and suicide risk. The independent association of cannabis with suicidal behavior after accounting for depression and personality traits suggests it may contribute additional risk.
Questions still open
- Does cannabis use causally increase suicide risk in adolescents, or does it cluster with other risk factors?
- Would screening for cannabis use improve suicide risk assessment in Latin American adolescent populations?
Common questions
Is cannabis use linked to teen suicide risk?
What were the strongest predictors of suicidal behavior?
Read the original research
Association Between Suicidal Behaviour and Cannabis and Tranquilizer use, Depression, Aggression and Other Borderline Personality Traits Among Students in Sincelejo, Colombia.
Revista Colombiana de psiquiatria, 52(3), 225-235
Citation
Romero-Acosta, Kelly; Verhelst, Salomón; Lowe, Gillian A; Lipps, Garth E; Restrepo, José; Fonseca, Leodanis. (2023). Association Between Suicidal Behaviour and Cannabis and Tranquilizer use, Depression, Aggression and Other Borderline Personality Traits Among Students in Sincelejo, Colombia.. Revista Colombiana de psiquiatria, 52(3), 225-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcpeng.2021.05.011
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