Cannabis use and suicidal behavior in youth

Chair(s)

• 

  Jesse Hinckley, MD, PhD (he/him/his)

  Associate Clinical Professor
  University of Colorado School of Medicine
  Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States

Adolescence is characterized by ongoing neurodevelopment, a uniquely vulnerable window to the adverse effects of cannabis use and a period when many youths experience the onset of mental health problems. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth aged 10-24 years in the United States. Over the past two decades the prevalence of suicide has increased sharply, leading to the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association jointly declaring a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. This rise in youth suicide has coincided with the liberalization of cannabis policies, and cannabis use has been associated with suicidal behavior in both adolescents and adults. In this symposium, three child and adolescent psychiatrists who specialize in substance use disorders will give research-focused presentations that explore the relationship between cannabis and suicidal thoughts in youth. Aditya Pawar, MD, will present findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association of cannabis use and suicidal behavior among youth. Next, Jesse Hinckley, MD, PhD, will present on the association between cannabis use, depression, and suicidal behavior in youth and examine the mediating role of depression on these relationships. Finally, Christopher Hammond, MD, PhD, will present the results from two studies examining the impact of state-level cannabis policies on suicide-related outcomes. The findings of these studies will highlight the association between cannabis and suicidal behavior in adolescence and the association of changing cannabis policies with increased suicide-related mortality.

Presentations:

• 10:00am – 10:20am HST

  Cannabis Use and Suicide in Children and Adolescents: Investigating the Link Through a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
  

  Speaker: Aditya K. Pawar, MD (he/him/his) – Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital
• 10:20am – 10:50am HST

  Cannabis Use Is Associated with Depression and Suicidal Behavior in Youth
  

  Speaker: Jesse D. Hinckley, MD, PhD (he/him/his) – University of Colorado School of Medicine
• 10:50am – 11:20am HST

  Associations Between Medical and Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Suicide-related Outcomes Among US Youth
  

  Speaker: Christopher J. Hammond, MD, PHD (he/him/his) – Johns Hopkins Children's Center
• 11:20am – 11:30am HST

  Q & A
  

  Speaker: Christopher J. Hammond, MD, PHD (he/him/his) – Johns Hopkins Children's Center