Socio-demographic determinants of planning suicide and marijuana use among youths: are these patterns of behaviour causally related?

Rosa Duarte, José-Julián Escario and José Alberto Molina

Documentos de Trabajo from Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad de Zaragoza

Abstract: We analyse whether there is a causal relationship between planning suicide and marijuana use among US youths. To that end, we specify a simultaneous probability model which is estimated by maximum likelihood using the YRBS (1999 and 2001). We place emphasis on a number of socio-demographic risk determinants (gender, age, ethnicity, environmental and peer group factors). Our results confirm that marijuana use and planning suicide are not the result of a single determinant, but rather emerge from a complex interaction of many socio-demographic factors. Moreover, they suggest the presence of reverse causality, with this implying that marijuana use increases the probability of planning suicide and, similarly, that youths who plan to commit suicide exhibit a higher probability of using marijuana.

Keywords: Socio-Demographic determinants; Planning suicide; Marijuana use; Youths; Causality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zar:wpaper:dt2013-03

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