No Links Found Between Cannabis and Suicidal Behavior
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]here is no significant association between cannabis and suicidal behavior in psychiatric patients, scientists from McMaster University concluded in a new study. The findings were published on June 11 in the journal Biology of Sex Differences.
The team wanted to better understand how cannabis affects people with suicidal thoughts. “In what we believe to be a first, this study seeks to understand how cannabis use impacts suicide attempts in men and women with psychiatric disorders who are already at a heightened risk of attempting suicide,” Zainab Samaan, the lead author stated in a press release. “We know there is a high rate of cannabis use among this population and wanted to better understand any potential correlation to suicidal behavior.”
The team combined data from existing studies based in Ontario, Canada. Information was gathered from 909 psychiatric patients, with 465 men and 444 women. Within the group, 112 men and 158 women had attempted suicide.
There was “no clear link between cannabis and suicide attempts” investigators said. Having a pre-existing mood disorder and consuming cannabis, however, led to an increased risk of suicidal behavior. Investigators also saw a higher prevalence of suicidal behavior in women. Other studies have suggested that cannabis can instead ease depression, however, the level of depression should be considered before committing to medical cannabis.
Investigators also notices that having a job was a major factor of who displayed suicidal behavior. Cannabis isn’t for everyone—and that includes individuals that suffer from real psychiatric disorders that could be exacerbated with cannabis consumption. On the other hand, many Americans say that cannabis can help with certain mental disorders such as anxiety.
Suicidal tendencies may be contagious, and the risk is real after celebrity suicides like former CULTURE cover Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade. The World Health Organization’s Mental Health Action Plan aims to reduce the rate of suicide across the world by 10 percent by 2020.
