Mediational pathways among trait impulsivity, heroin-use consequences, and current mood state

Abstract

Background: This study examined whether lifetime heroin-use consequences mediate the relationship between trait impulsivity and three current mood outcomes: depression symptoms, stress levels, and perception of life events.

Method: Regular heroin users (N = 163) were assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) to measure trait impulsivity; a standardized Drug History and Use Questionnaire to measure lifetime adverse consequences of heroin use; Beck Depression Inventory II to measure current depression symptoms; Stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress scale; and Hassles and Uplifts scale to measure perception of life events.

Results: BIS-11 Attentional and Motor impulsivity were positively related to number of adverse heroin-use consequences, depression symptoms, and stress level, and negatively associated with positive perception of events. A greater number of heroin-use consequences was related to more depression symptoms, higher stress, more negative perception of events, injection heroin use, and earlier ages of first and regular heroin use. In six mediation models, lifetime heroin-use consequences partially mediated relationships between two trait impulsivity domains (Attentional, Motor) and current mood measures (depression symptoms, stress, perception of events).

Conclusions: The present findings suggest that current negative mood can be a response to the accumulated burden of heroin-use consequences, particularly in the presence of high trait impulsivity.

Keywords:

• Substance use
• depression
• stressors
• negative perception
• mediation
• impulsivity

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ken Bates for participant recruitment, and Elorie Eggleston, Debra Kish, Katherine Mattison, Lisa Sulkowski and Melissa Williams for assistance with data collection and management. We also acknowledge Justin McManus for his contribution to the interpretation of mediation analyses.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare no conflict of interest with respect to the conduct or content of this work.

Additional information

Funding

NIH 2 R01 DA015462 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (to MKG), a postdoctoral research fellowship award (to JJL) from the Wayne State University Office of the Vice President, a grant (Joe Young Sr./Helene Lycaki Funds) from the State of Michigan, a predoctoral fellowship from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (awarded to EAW; NIH F31 DA040369), and funds from the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority supported this research. Funding sources had no role in the design, conduct, or analysis of these data, nor the decision to submit this manuscript. Data for this analysis were obtained under registered NIH clinical trials NCT00684840 and NCT01536925. Joe Young Sr./Helene Lycaki Funds (State of Michigan).