Adolescent substance use may increase the risk for suicidal behavior due to both acute and long-term effects. Acute pharmacological effects of drug intoxication may impair judgment, lower inhibitions, worsen impulse control, and affect specific neurotransmitter systems (Mann et al. 2003), to increase the likelihood of attempting suicide (Bridge et al. 2006; Schuckit and Schuckit, 1989). Chronic substance use may cause negative effects on neurocognitive and behavioral control (Ehrenreich et al. 1999; Schneider and Koch, 2003; Volkow, 2005). Adolescents who initiate and progress to regular substance use often undergo changes in behavioral, affective, and cognitive processes characterized as an underdeveloped regulation of aggression, sensation seeking, and impulsivity (Clark et al. 2005; Hawkins et al. 1992; McGue et al. 2001a, 2001b). Substance use can also trigger suicidal behavior by contributing to developmental failures, such as school difficulties or expulsion, or problematic interaction with peers (Conner and Goldston, in press).
