Is cigarette smoking associated with suicidal ideation among young people?
OBJECTIVE
The authors examined the association between suicidal ideation in early adulthood and daily tobacco smoking in a community sample of adolescents.


METHODS
Participants were enrolled in a longitudinal study of health and development. The factors of disadvantage, impulsiveness, stress, depressed mood, tobacco smoking, other substance use, and parental attachment were included in multivariate modelling of suicidal ideation.


RESULTS
Data on tobacco use were available for 764 participants. Early tobacco smoking was significantly predictive of later suicidal ideation, but there was no longer a significant relationship when high levels of stress and depression and low levels of parental attachment in adolescence were included in the multivariate model.


CONCLUSIONS
Tobacco smoking in adolescence does not appear to elevate the risk of later suicidal ideation.
McGee
Rob
R
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand. rob.mcgee@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Williams
Sheila
S
Nada-Raja
Shyamala
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009769:Object Attachment; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology