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Concerns over a possible link between cannabis use and increased mental health problems and suicidal ideation have prompted a coroner to urge parents and carers to become aware of the risks. (File photo)
A coroner has warned of the increased risk of mental health problems and suicidal ideation associated with cannabis use by teenagers after the death of a 14-year-old boy.
Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale released her findings to stuff hoping to encourage those caring for teens who use cannabis to make themselves aware of the risks and ways to reduce that use.
The 14-year-old, whose name is being suppressed, died in 2019. He had attempted suicide twice in the past 18 months.
When he was about 4 years old, the boy, who had been raised by adoptive parents, was referred for pediatric and psychiatric assessment due to behavioral problems and suspected fetal alcohol syndrome and ADHD. It considered him a “normal, energetic young boy”.
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But in 2013, a further psychiatric assessment after school disruption found him to be inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive.
Records suggested the boy was a “fairly simple kid” until about 2016, when he became increasingly moody and defiant. He was never formally diagnosed with a disability or mental illness, but received regular counseling.
On the day of his death, the teen had half a day at school, so he decided to stay home that day.
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Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale published her findings in hopes of encouraging carers of teens who use cannabis to make themselves aware of the risks and find ways to help reduce that use. (File photo)
That afternoon, his girlfriend told him in a series of text messages that she didn’t feel in a position to continue their relationship. The boy texted twice that he was going to kill himself.
She said she still cared about him and asked him not to do “nothing stupid”.
About an hour later, his adoptive mother asked if he wanted to go into town with her. Upset, he told her she didn’t want to, and she left him in his bedroom.
While she was gone, she was approached by one of his friends who feared he might hurt himself. The coroner said it was unclear how this friend had heard of the boy.
She immediately returned home to find the young boy dead.
The police who arrived found a cannabis smell in the shed, while in his bedroom were several cannabis-related items, including three bongs and remains of cannabis “cans”.
His adoptive mother told police she knew he smoked cannabis, and she’d told him she’d rather do it in their shed than on the street. There was no evidence of the frequency of his cannabis use.
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Clinicians who treated the boy noted that his birth mother had had problems with cannabis and alcohol.
Coroner Borrowdale said there was no evidence that the boy’s mental health services were addressing his cannabis use. A 2016 risk management form stated that he was not using alcohol or drugs.
She said the young boy was experiencing “several stressors in his life,” including problems with his schoolwork and with his whānau and other relationships.
The coroner said the boy’s medical records showed that he received “appropriate and supportive” mental health care and counseling after his first suicide attempt, and for the next 18 months until his death.
†[He] was a young teenager with a history of moderate depression, with feelings of intense isolation and sadness. [He] He was known to smoke cannabis with some regularity, and he had smoked cannabis immediately before his death.”
Coroner Borrowdale cited research, including a 2011 New Zealand study that found that nearly 80% of young people had used cannabis before the age of 21.
While it was not possible to describe in detail the causal effect or contribution of the boy’s cannabis use to his suicide, the coroner said there was evidence that cannabis use by teenagers was associated with “an increased risk of mental health problems and suicidal ideation” .
A US newspaper that looked at people aged 18 to 35 between 2008 and 2019 found that cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of suicide, suicide planning and suicide attempts.
A 2014 analysis of adolescent studies reported a “direct relationship” between cannabis use and suicidal ideation.
“Adolescents who used cannabis daily before they were 17 years old were seven times more likely to attempt suicide than young people who had never used cannabis before,” the coroner said.
“Those who used cannabis weekly or more were four times more likely to commit suicide. Those who used cannabis monthly or more were more than twice as likely to commit suicide.”
Coroner Borrowdale said the investigations were an “essential contribution to suicide prevention efforts”.
“We cannot know what contribution [the young boy’s] Cannabis use may have caused his mental health or suicide. But based on these studies, and many other similar studies, I am not prepared to assume that [his] cannabis use played no part in his tragic death.”
The coroner also endorsed the Ministry of Health’s advice to anyone concerned about someone who may be suicidal: The advice is reproduced below.
- Help is available to anyone who is struggling and thinking of harming themselves. Help is also available for anyone who is concerned or aware that a friend, family member, or anyone else feels this way.
- Information on ways to support someone who is thinking of harming themselves can be found here.
- If someone has attempted suicide, or if you are concerned about their immediate safety, do the following: Take them seriously. Thank them for telling and invite them to keep talking. Ask questions without judging.
Where to get help
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1737, Would you like to talk? Call or text 1737 toll free to speak with a trained counselor.
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Fear New Zealand 0800 FEAR (0800 269 4389)
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Depression.org.nz 0800 111 757 or text 4202
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lifeline 0800 543 354
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Mental Health Foundation 09 623 4812, click here to access the free resource and information service.
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Nationwide Support Confidence 0800 787 254
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samaritans 0800 726 666
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Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
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Yellow stones gone 0800 732 825
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thelowdown.co.nz Web chat, email chat or free SMS 5626
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how are you 0800 942 8787 (for 5 to 18 year olds). Telephone counseling available Monday through Friday from 12 noon to 11 p.m. and on weekends from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Online chat is available daily from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
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youth line 0800 376 633, toll free text 234, email [email protected], or find online chat and other support options here.
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If it’s an emergency, click here to find your local crisis assessment team number.
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In a life-threatening situation, call 111.