In a longitudinal study of 1,465 young people, cannabis use and suicidal ideation were positively and reciprocally related from ages 15 to 20, though bullying victimization did not lead to suicidal thinking through cannabis use or depression as mediators.
Parents, clinicians, and prevention specialists concerned about youth cannabis use and suicide risk
1,465 participants, ages 15 to 20
What the researchers found
At the within-person level, cannabis use and suicidal ideation were positively and reciprocally related over time (ages 15-20). Bullying at age 15 predicted increases in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation at age 17 directly, but not through cannabis use, depression, or anxiety as mediators. Cannabis and tobacco use at 17 predicted increases in bullying victimization at 20.
Why it matters
The reciprocal relationship between cannabis use and suicidal ideation suggests a potential vicious cycle: cannabis use may increase suicidal thinking, which may in turn increase cannabis use. This bidirectional finding is important for both prevention and clinical intervention.
The numbers in context
1,465 participants; 51.7% male; assessed at ages 15, 17, and 20; cannabis use and suicidal ideation reciprocally related at within-person level; bullying at 15 predicted depression and suicidal ideation at 17; substance use at 17 predicted victimization at 20
How the study worked
Longitudinal cohort study using three waves of data from the normative z-proso study (N=1,465; 51.7% male) at ages 15, 17, and 20. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models tested within-person mediation effects while controlling for between-person confounds.
What this study cannot tell us
Three time points across five years may miss shorter-term dynamics. Self-reported measures may be subject to reporting bias. The study cannot establish causation despite using within-person models. Sample was from Zurich, Switzerland, which may have different cannabis norms than other settings.
How to read the evidence
Well-designed longitudinal study with within-person modeling, though limited time points and self-report measures
When this study was published
2022 study
The bigger picture
Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, and cannabis use is increasing in this population. Understanding that these two problems may fuel each other over time provides a stronger rationale for addressing both simultaneously in prevention and treatment programs.
Questions still open
- What drives the reciprocal relationship between cannabis use and suicidal ideation? Would more frequent assessment time points reveal different mediation patterns? Could treating cannabis use disorder reduce suicidal ideation in at-risk youth?
Common questions
Does cannabis cause suicidal thoughts in teenagers?
Does being bullied lead to cannabis use?
Read the original research
Developmental Relations Between Bullying Victimization and Suicidal Ideation in Middle Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Do Internalizing Problems and Substance Use Mediate Their Links?
Journal of youth and adolescence, 51(9), 1745-1759
Citation
Zhu, Xinxin; Griffiths, Helen; Eisner, Manuel; Hepp, Urs; Ribeaud, Denis; Murray, Aja Louise. (2022). Developmental Relations Between Bullying Victimization and Suicidal Ideation in Middle Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Do Internalizing Problems and Substance Use Mediate Their Links?. Journal of youth and adolescence, 51(9), 1745-1759. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01630-4
Explore the wider topic
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