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Article Open Access February 11, 2025

Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence

Shervin Assari 1, 2,*, Babak Najand 3 and Payam Sheikhattari 4, 5, 6
1
Department of Internal Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2
Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
3
Marginalization-related Diminished Returns, Los Angeles, CA, USA
4
Center for Urban Health Disparities Research and Innovation, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA
5
The Prevention Sciences Research Center, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA
6
Department of Public and Allied Health, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Publihed in: Current Research in Public Health (Volume 5, Issue 1, 2025)
Page(s): 18-31
DOI: 10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
Received
November 17, 2024
Revised
January 20, 2025
Accepted
February 09, 2025
Published
February 11, 2025
Keywords
Adolescent Substance Use; Childhood Depression; Hopelessness; Suicidal Ideation; Tobacco Use; Marijuana Use; Mental Health; Longitudinal Research; Socioeconomic Disparities; Racial Disparities; Emotional Regulation; Adolescence
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Scientific Publications
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Cite This Article

APA Style
Assari, S. , Najand, B. , & Sheikhattari, P. (2025). Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence. Current Research in Public Health, 5(1), 18-31. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
ACS Style
Assari, S. ; Najand, B. ; Sheikhattari, P. Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence. Current Research in Public Health 2025 5(1), 18-31. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
Chicago/Turabian Style
Assari, Shervin, Babak Najand, and Payam Sheikhattari. 2025. "Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence". Current Research in Public Health 5, no. 1: 18-31. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
AMA Style
Assari S, Najand B, Sheikhattari P. Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence. Current Research in Public Health. 2025; 5(1):18-31. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojms.2025.1181 
@Article{crph1181,
AUTHOR = {Assari, Shervin and Najand, Babak and Sheikhattari, Payam},
TITLE = {Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence},
JOURNAL = {Current Research in Public Health},
VOLUME = {5},
YEAR = {2025},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {18-31},
URL = {https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/OJMS/article/view/1181},
ISSN = {2831-5162},
DOI = {10.31586/ojms.2025.1181},
ABSTRACT = {Background: Emotional problems have been associated with substance use, yet longitudinal research examining this relationship during childhood and adolescence in large, diverse, community-based samples remains limited. Aims: This study investigates the prospective associations between three emotional problems—hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts—before ages 9–10 and the subsequent initiation of tobacco and marijuana use before ages 14–15, using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Methods: Data from the ABCD study were analyzed. Baseline emotional problems, including hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts, were assessed at ages 9–10 through structured parent interviews. Substance use outcomes (tobacco and marijuana initiation) were tracked from baseline to follow-up at ages 14–15 using structured self-report measures. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the predictive roles of these early-life emotional problems, controlling for potential confounders such as demographic factors and family and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Results: Baseline hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts at ages 9–10 were significant predictors of tobacco and marijuana use initiation at ages 14–15. These associations remained robust after adjusting for confounders, indicating the independent effects of early emotional problems on adolescent substance use initiation. Conclusions: Emotional problems in early childhood, including hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior, are critical predictors of substance use initiation during adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and targeted mental health interventions to reduce the risk of substance use among vulnerable youth.},
}
%0 Journal Article
%A Assari, Shervin
%A Najand, Babak
%A Sheikhattari, Payam
%D 2025
%J Current Research in Public Health

%@ 2831-5162
%V 5
%N 1
%P 18-31

%T Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence
%M doi:10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
%U https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/OJMS/article/view/1181

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Assari, Shervin
AU  - Najand, Babak
AU  - Sheikhattari, Payam
TI  - Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence
T2  - Current Research in Public Health
PY  - 2025
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
SN  - 2831-5162
SP  - 18
EP  - 31
UR  - https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/OJMS/article/view/1181
AB  - Background: Emotional problems have been associated with substance use, yet longitudinal research examining this relationship during childhood and adolescence in large, diverse, community-based samples remains limited. Aims: This study investigates the prospective associations between three emotional problems—hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts—before ages 9–10 and the subsequent initiation of tobacco and marijuana use before ages 14–15, using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Methods: Data from the ABCD study were analyzed. Baseline emotional problems, including hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts, were assessed at ages 9–10 through structured parent interviews. Substance use outcomes (tobacco and marijuana initiation) were tracked from baseline to follow-up at ages 14–15 using structured self-report measures. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the predictive roles of these early-life emotional problems, controlling for potential confounders such as demographic factors and family and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Results: Baseline hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts at ages 9–10 were significant predictors of tobacco and marijuana use initiation at ages 14–15. These associations remained robust after adjusting for confounders, indicating the independent effects of early emotional problems on adolescent substance use initiation. Conclusions: Emotional problems in early childhood, including hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior, are critical predictors of substance use initiation during adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and targeted mental health interventions to reduce the risk of substance use among vulnerable youth.
DO  - Childhood Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Attempt Predict Earlier Tobacco and Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence
TI  - 10.31586/ojms.2025.1181
ER  -