Inconsistent Reporting Affects the Link Between Substance Use and Suicide Attempt in Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Substantial rates of inconsistent reporting exist in substance use and suicidality research.
• Most studies overlook the issue of inconsistent reporters, potentially biasing results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the prevalence of inconsistent reporters on substance use and suicide attempts.
• To assess how excluding inconsistent reporters impacts the association between substance use and suicide attempts.

Main Methods:

• A representative sample of 5,592 secondary school students (mean age 15.9) completed measures on substance use and suicide attempt.
• Prevalence estimates were calculated using raw data, domain-specific exclusion, and complete exclusion of inconsistent reporters.
• Logistic regressions analyzed the link between substance use and suicide attempt with and without inconsistent reporters.

Main Results:

• Approximately 26% of participants showed inconsistent substance use reporting, and 15% for suicide attempts, totaling 36% inconsistent reporters.
• Excluding inconsistent reporters altered prevalence estimates, particularly for abstainers.
• The association between inebriation experience/cannabis use and suicide attempts became non-significant after excluding inconsistent reporters.

Conclusions:

• Inconsistent reporting is a critical factor in substance use and suicidality research that requires systematic consideration.
• Researchers and policymakers should exercise caution when interpreting findings from studies that do not account for inconsistent reporting.