- Every year there are 700 thousand cases of suicide worldwide, which is equivalent to one death every 40 seconds.
- In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide.
- Suicidal behavior is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide.
The Suicide has become a serious public health problem and although each person has their own reasons, it has been insinuated that the consumption of cannabis It could be related to the decision to end one’s own life. That is why it is necessary to address this topic for more information.
In order to understand suicidal behavior, it is essential to analyze the risk factors that range from the community, relational and individual spheres. The main ones are psychological, environmental, social and biological, and among them are mental disorders, conflicts, public health, catastrophes, losses, previous suicide attempts, among others.
Some causes of suicide in different segments of the world population:
● Children and adolescents: family psychiatric history, mental illness, close losses, depression, social isolation, problematic use of drugs and alcohol, sexual abuse, domestic violence, genetic vulnerability that predisposes to suicidal behavior, among others, have an influence.
● Adults: social and interpersonal relationships, social context, economic stress, problematic family environment or domestic violence, mental disorders, problematic use of alcohol and drugs, low IQ, poor psychosocial adjustment, and terminal illness.
● Seniors: terminal or mental illness, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, neglect and abuse.
Signs of possible suicidal actions:
● Phrases such as “I wish I hadn’t been born”, “I wish I were dead”, “why am I still alive”, “there’s no point in staying here”, or other similar ones. Declarations of passive death wishes.
● Talk continuously about suicide and ways to do it.
● Discuss a highly intentional suicide plan.
● Write or keep a suicide note.
● Have a history of impulsiveness and poor decisions.
● Obtain means or items to carry out suicide.
● Extreme isolation.
● Extreme and unusual mood swings.
● Concern about legal issues related to death: wills, inheritances, life insurance, etc.
● Live in despair.
● Talk about feeling trapped or thinking there is no solution.
● Feel unbearable physical or emotional pain.
● Excessive use of alcohol and other drugs.
● Drastic and negative changes in your daily functionality.
● Self-destructive and reckless actions.
● Say goodbye for no reason and/or give away personal belongings.
It is essential to speak with the person clearly and directly, as well as to ask for professional help. Any action related to suicidal behavior should never be underestimated.
As a society we must raise awareness and sensitize ourselves on the subject, learn, know the causes and warning signs, showing interest and offering help to people who find themselves in complicated situations or moments of crisis. But is cannabis use a direct factor in suicide?
As commented by the Dr. Mafer Arboleda, “Much has been said about the relationship between adult use of cannabis (“recreational use”) and suicidality among adolescents and young adults. In fact, some studies and large surveys, with more than 15,000 participants, show that the use of cannabis (for NON-medicinal purposes) that begins early during adolescence (under 14 years of age) has been shown to increase suicidal behaviors, where the 12.5% of the participants reported ideation and 4.3% attempted suicide. However, the factors that contribute to this relationship remain unclear. 3 This is why it is worth reiterating that suicidal behaviors do not depend on a single cause and that they can be affected by numerous confounding factors.
He adds that some hypotheses have been put forward suggesting that the consumption of cannabis for adult (“recreational”) use could be considered as an indirect cause factor related to suicidal behaviors, in association with various problems such as the disorder due to the use of other substances or the presence of symptoms related to some psychiatric disorders that are factors that would directly increase the risk of suicide.
For now, it seems unlikely that the consumption of cannabis for adult use is shown to be a direct causal factor of completed suicide, but it has been suggested that frequent exposure and high amounts of cannabis for non-medicinal purposes, in subjects with some type of alteration neurobiological in its endocannabinoid system, predisposes to the consumption of other addictive substances or to the development of some psychiatric pathology (psychotic or affective) and would increase the risk of suicide. More studies, especially prospective studies, are still needed to determine if there really is an association and if there are signs of causality.
In conclusion, it can be said that it has not yet been proven that the consumption of cannabis for adult use (NOT medicinal) acts as a direct factor in the consummation of a suicide.
Is there a role for medical cannabis in reducing suicidal behavior among terminally ill patients?
The suicide rate among cancer patients can be up to two times higher than that observed in the general population, mainly because they are more prone to depression.
The effects of suicide not only affect the individual who performs it, but 5 to 10 people around him who suffer the EMOTIONAL IMPACT, where there are feelings of guilt, anger, sadness and frustration.
The types of cancer in which there is a higher suicide rate are: cancer of the head and neck, lung and pancreas. Unfortunately, health personnel are not adequately trained or prepared to assess the risk of suicidality in these patients and offer tools, resources and support to these people and their families.
In terminal illnesses, anxiety is common and thoughts of self-harm, planning, and finally suicide attempt may occur. Desperation and the desire to stop the suffering have been tempting factors to generate suicidal behavior.
Medical cannabis can help control the symptoms of certain medical conditions, and therefore could positively impact the quality of life of people with advanced illnesses or who are at the end of life. This could perhaps contribute to the reduction of suicidal behavior in this population, although clinical studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
It is essential to make a complete approach and evaluate the suicidal risk in patients with advanced disease. Knowing the patient’s attitude towards death, their main stressors, age, gender, biological factors, medical history and suffering or possible mental disorders become a priority in the evaluation process.
Also read:
Doctor commits suicide because of anti-vaccine groups: This happened
Student commits suicide within the UNAM Faculty of Medicine: This we know
The 10 medical specialties with the highest tendency to suicide