Role of Impulsivity and Other Personality Dimensions in Attempted Suicide with Self-Poisoning among Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the role of impulsivity and personality dimensions in attempted suicide among youth. The study included 120 youths who attempted suicide and 100 matched controls. Attempters of suicide had higher total scores and subscales of impulsivity than controls. They had higher novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence scores, lower scores on persistence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness. A total of 77.5% of suicide attempters had psychiatric disorders compared to 2% of controls. Main factors predicting the occurrence of suicidal attempts were the presence of psychiatric disorder, impulsivity, stressful life events, and high reward dependence of suicide attempters. The study supports that impulsivity and personality traits play an important role in youth suicide independently or as a part of other interacting factors.

Keywords:

• adolescents
• children
• impulsivity
• personality traits
• suicide

Notes

Note. (P > 0.05) nonsignificant.

Note. ***Very highly significant (P ≤ 0.001), BIS-11, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11.

*Indicates significant data (P ≤ 0.05), **highly significant (P ≤ 0.01); ***very highly significant (P ≤ 0.001); (P > 0.05) nonsignificant, BIS-11, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11, SRRS-Y, Social Readjustment Rating Scale for Young.

Note. *Indicates significant data (P ≤ 0.05), **highly significant (P ≤ 0.01); ***very highly significant (P ≤ 0.001); (P > 0.05) nonsignificant; NS, novelty seeking; HA, harm avoidance; RD, reward dependence; PS, persistence; SD, self-directedness; C, cooperativeness; ST, self-transcendence.

Note. *indicates significant data (P ≤ 0.05), **highly significant (P ≤ 0.01); ***very highly significant (P ≤ 0.001); (P > 0.05) nonsignificant, BIS-11, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11, SRRS-Y, Social Readjustment Rating Scale for Young; RD, reward dependence.

Cox and Snell R² = 0.60.

Nagelkerke R² = 0.80.