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

• Published in: Revista brasileira de psiquiatria Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 279 - 288
• 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: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria 01-05-2022; Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)
• Subjects: Brazil - epidemiology; Humans; Impulsive Behavior; impulsivity; Original; post-traumatic stress disorder; PSYCHIATRY; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Students; Suicidal Ideation; suicide; Suicide attempt; Suicide, Attempted; trauma and stressor related disorders; Brazil; impulsivity; post-traumatic stress disorder; trauma and stressor related disorders; suicide; Suicide attempt
• ISSN: 1516-4446; 1809-452X; 1809-452X
• DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2021-2175

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.
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.
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.
Intervention strategies to prevent SA may target trait impulsivity and exposure to traumatic experiences.