Suicide attempt, impulsivity, and exposure to trauma in college students

Suicide attempt, impulsivity, and exposure to trauma in college students

Objectives: Past suicide attempt (SA) is one of the most important risk factors for suicide death. An ideation-to-action framework posits that impulsivity, potentially traumatic events, and mental disorders also play a role in increasing suicide risk. This study aimed to assess the association between trait impulsivity, lifetime exposure to trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with SA in a sample of Brazilian college students. Methods: A total of 2,137 participants filled self-reported questionnaires consisting of a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, Trauma History Questionnaire, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Civilian version, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Results: Our findings suggest that trait impulsivity may be interpreted as exerting a distal effect on SA, even in the presence of other variables – such as trauma history, psychological neglect, and PTSD – which also increase the odds of SA. High and medium levels of impulsivity, history of trauma, and PTSD increased the likelihood of SA. Conclusions: Intervention strategies to prevent SA may target trait impulsivity and exposure to traumatic experiences.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lira,Sidnei B., Vieira,Flávia, Cavalcanti,Diogo E., Souza-Marques,Breno, Netto,Liana R., Correia-Melo,Fernanda S., Leal,Gustavo C., Pereira,Juliana L., Santos,Lene L., Guedes,Gisela M., Teles,Carlos A., Cardoso,Taiane de A., Miranda-Scippa,Ângela, Kapczinski,Flavio, Lacerda,Acioly L.T., Koenen,Karestan C., Turecki,Gustavo, Quarantini,Lucas C.
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria 2022
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462022000300279
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Summary:Objectives: Past suicide attempt (SA) is one of the most important risk factors for suicide death. An ideation-to-action framework posits that impulsivity, potentially traumatic events, and mental disorders also play a role in increasing suicide risk. This study aimed to assess the association between trait impulsivity, lifetime exposure to trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with SA in a sample of Brazilian college students. Methods: A total of 2,137 participants filled self-reported questionnaires consisting of a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, Trauma History Questionnaire, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Civilian version, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Results: Our findings suggest that trait impulsivity may be interpreted as exerting a distal effect on SA, even in the presence of other variables – such as trauma history, psychological neglect, and PTSD – which also increase the odds of SA. High and medium levels of impulsivity, history of trauma, and PTSD increased the likelihood of SA. Conclusions: Intervention strategies to prevent SA may target trait impulsivity and exposure to traumatic experiences.

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