São Paulo Medical Journal (Apr 2024)

Suicide ideation and psychotropic recreational drug use by adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • Cássia Lima de Oliveira Gracini,
  • Gustavo Giacomelli Nascimento,
  • Maria Tereza Campos Vidigal,
  • Murilo Navarro de Oliveira,
  • Álex Moreira Herval,
  • Cauane Blumenberg,
  • Walbert A. Vieira,
  • Rafael Rodrigues Lima,
  • Luiz Renato Paranhos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-3180.2022.0641.r2.23012024
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 142, no. 4

Abstract

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ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Adolescence is characterized by complex and dynamic changes, often involving experimentation, including the use of psychotropic substances. Although it is well-established that recreational psychotropic drugs are associated with suicide ideation in adults, evidence of this association in adolescents remains limited. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between suicide ideation and psychotropic recreational drug use among adolescents. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review with meta-analysis developed at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) and Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. METHODS: A search across eight electronic databases for observational studies, without language or publication year restrictions, was conducted. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Random-effects meta-analyses and odds ratios were used to measure the effects. RESULTS: The search yielded 19,732 studies, of which 78 were included in the qualitative synthesis and 32 in the meta-analysis. The findings indicated that suicidal ideation was 1.96 times more likely (95% confidence interval, CI = 1.47; 2.61) for adolescents who used some drug recurrently and 3.32 times more likely (95%CI = 1.86; 5.93) among those who abused drugs. Additionally, adolescents who used cannabis were 1.57 times more likely (95%CI = 1.34; 1.84) to experience suicide ideation compared with non-users, while cocaine users had 2.57 times higher odds (95%CI = 1.47; 4.50). CONCLUSIONS: Psychotropic recreational drug use is associated with suicidal ideation among adolescents regardless of current or previous use, abuse, or type of substance used. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Registered in the PROSPERO database under the identification number CRD42021232360. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021232360.

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