Negative Urgency and Lack of Perseverance: Identification of Differential Pathways of Onset and Maintenance Risk in the Longitudinal Prediction of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Contexts of urgency may go beyond emotion

Introduction

Urgency has been defined as the tendency towards rash speech and behavior in the context of emotion. Measures of Urgency have been found to have robust predictive power for psychopathologies and problematic behaviors. In the current study, we question whether emotions are unique drivers of urgency, or if emotions are potent exemplars of contexts that lead to rash speech and behavior. The Emotion Specific model and the Broader Contexts model correspond with these two conceptualizations of urgency, and they frame our pre-registered hypotheses.

Methods

Participants from two well-powered samples (n = 600,n = 588) completed 9 modified items from the Urgency and Positive Urgency scales to assess rash responses in each of four contexts - "Upset," "Excited," "Tired," and "Hungry" - and a fifth "In General" set. After data cleaning, we used principal components analysis to construct a unidimensional, 4-item set that was applied to capture impulsive behavior across the five contexts.

Results

We found that this research tool, called the Contexts of Impulsive Behaviors (CIBS), replicated in the second dataset, and it had adequate internal reliability in both samples. Although the Emotion Specific model was supported by the fact that the Upset context had a greater mean and greater variance than the Tired and Hungry contexts, most results supported the Broader Contexts model. That is, CIBS contexts were highly intercorrelated, and bivariate correlations with psychopathology were not significantly different across contexts. In partial correlations, effects of the Upset and Excited contexts were partially or fully statistically mediated by the Tired and Hungry contexts.

Discussion

These findings suggest that emotions are potent contexts for impulsive behaviors. At the same time, those with high urgency are vulnerable to impulsivity in other contexts, such as fatigue and hunger, that challenge the regulatory functions of the prefrontal cortex. Limitations, future directions, and clinical implications are discussed.

The relation between stress-induced dopamine release in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, fronto-striatal functional connectivity, and negative urgency: A multimodal investigation using [18F]Fallypride PET, MRI and experience sampling

Negative urgency (NU), or the tendency to act rashly when stress of negative affect is high, could be the result of an insufficient control of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) over the striatum, through an impaired dopamine (DA) transmission. Therefore, we investigated in vivo human stress-induced DA release in the vmPFC, its relation with fronto-striatal functional connectivity (FC), and NU in daily life. In total, 12 female healthy participants performed a simultaneous [18 F]fallypride PET and fMRI scan during which stress was induced. Regions displaying stress-induced DA release were identified and used to investigate stress-induced changes in fronto-striatal FC. Additionally, participants enrolled in an experience sampling study, reporting on daily life stress and rash actions over a 12-month-long period. Mixed models explored whether stress-induced DA release and FC moderated NU in daily life. Stress led to a lower FC between the vmPFC and dorsal striatum, but a higher FC between the vmPFC and contralateral ventral striatum. Participants with a higher FC between the vmPFC and dorsal striatum displayed more NU in daily life. A higher stress-induced DA release in the vmPFC was related to a higher stress-induced change in FC between the vmPFC and striatum. Participants with a higher DA release in the vmPFC displayed more NU in daily life. In conclusion, stress could differentially impact fronto-striatal FC whereby the connectivity with the dorsal striatum is especially important for NU in daily life. This could be mediated by a higher, but not a lower, stress-induced DA release in the vmPFC.

The clinical significance of emotional urgency in bipolar disorder: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Emotional urgency, defined as a trait concept of emotion-based impulsivity, is at least moderately associated with general psychopathology. However, its clinical significance and associations with clinically relevant features of bipolar disorder remain unclear. This scoping review aims address this gap by determining the extent of evidence in this niche scope of study.

METHODS

Evidence of between-group differences of positive and negative urgency, its associations with mood severity, and all peripheral associations related to illness and psychosocial outcomes were synthesized based on PRISMA checklists and guidelines for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

DESIGN

Electronic databases were searched for articles published between January 2001 and January 2024. A total of 1013 entries were gathered, and a total of 10 articles were included in the final selection after the removal of duplicates and ineligible articles.

RESULTS

Differences in urgency scores between bipolar disorder and healthy controls were large (Cohen's d ranged from 1.77 to 2.20). Negative urgency was at least moderately associated with overall trauma, emotional abuse, neglect, suicide ideation, neuroticism, and irritable/cyclothymic temperament, whereas positive urgency was at least moderately associated with various aspects of aggression and quality of life. Positive but not negative urgency was associated with quality of life in bipolar disorder.

CONCLUSION

Large between-group differences found for emotional urgency in bipolar disorder imply large clinical significance. Emotional urgency was associated with worse clinical features and outcomes. Given the high clinical heterogeneity of the disorder, emotional urgency may be an important phenotype indicative of greater disorder severity.

The Prediction Model of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Psychiatric Patients Using Decision Tree Analysis

PURPOSE

The prevalence rate of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in the clinical population is higher than that in the community sample, necessitating the need to investigate the predicting factors of NSSI in this group. The present study aimed to develop a prediction model of NSSI among psychiatric patients in Korea.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Decision tree analysis was conducted on a sample of 224 psychiatric patients. Emotion regulation strategies (rumination, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression), impulsivity, problematic alcohol use, working memory, depressive mood, and gender were included in the model as predictors of NSSI.

RESULTS

Results indicated that rumination, problematic alcohol use, and working memory predicted lifetime NSSI engagement among psychiatric patients. The best predictor of lifetime NSSI engagement was rumination. Specifically, when the level of rumination was high, the level of working memory was lower, and the risk of NSSI was higher. In the case of low levels of rumination, the higher the level of problematic alcohol use, the higher the risk of NSSI. The highest prevalence of lifetime NSSI engagement was found in a subgroup of patients with high levels of rumination and low levels of working memory.

CONCLUSION

The major contribution of this study is finding a combination of factors to predict the high-risk group of NSSI among psychiatric patients in Korea. This study provides evidence on the effect of rumination, working memory, and problematic alcohol use on NSSI. It is suggested that clinicians and researchers should pay more attention to emotion regulation and related vulnerabilities in preventing and treating NSSI.

Negative urgency, distress tolerance, and symptoms of substance use, eating, and borderline personality disorders in treatment-seeking young people

OBJECTIVE

Negative urgency (NU) and distress tolerance (DT) are two similar yet distinct constructs with putative transdiagnostic relevance, particularly across psychopathology characterized by impulsivity (e.g., substance use disorders [SUD], eating disorders featuring binging and/or purging ED-B/P, and borderline personality disorder [BPD]). Yet, there remains a lack of research into NU and DT across SUD, ED-B/P, and BPD symptomatology in clinical populations. The present study sought to elucidate the transdiagnostic utility of NU and DT across impulsive-type psychology by examining the unique and interactive roles of NU and DT across SUD, ED-B/P, and BPD symptomatology within a treatment-seeking sample of young people.

METHOD

Participants (N = 385; 62.3% female; aged 16-25 years) were recruited from youth health services across Melbourne, Australia. Participants completed an online survey including self-report measures of NU and DT as well as SUD, ED-B/P, and BPD symptoms. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to explore unique and interactive associations of NU and DT with symptoms.

RESULTS

Both NU (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj ] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.16, 1.28]) and global DT (ORadj  = 0.59; 95% CI = [0.47, 0.74]) uniquely predicted symptoms. However, associations with global DT and most of its components differed across psychopathology types. No significant interactions between NU and DT in predicting symptoms were found.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the transdiagnostic utility of NU across SUD, ED-B/P, and BPD, while suggesting the role of DT across these disorders is more nuanced. These findings have important implications for NU and DT as potential intervention targets.

Emotion-related impulsivity is related to orbitofrontal cortical sulcation

Background

Emotion-related impulsivity (ERI) describes the trait-like tendency toward poor self-control when experiencing strong emotions. ERI has been shown to be elevated across psychiatric disorders and predictive of the onset and worsening of psychiatric syndromes. Recent work has correlated ERI scores with the neuroanatomy of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Informed by a growing body of research indicating that the morphology of cortical folds (sulci) can produce insights into behavioral outcomes, the present study modeled the association between ERI and the sulcal morphology of OFC at a finer scale than previously conducted.

Methods

Analyses were conducted in a transdiagnostic sample of 118 individuals with a broad range of psychiatric syndromes. We first manually defined over 2000 sulci across the 118 participants. We then implemented a model-based LASSO regression to relate OFC sulcal morphology to ERI and test whether effects were specific to ERI as compared to non-emotion-related impulsivity.

Results

The LASSO regression revealed bilateral associations of ERI with the depth of eight OFC sulci. These effects were specific to ERI and were not observed in non-emotion-related impulsivity. In addition, we identified a new transverse component of the olfactory sulcus in every hemisphere that is dissociable from the longitudinal component based on anatomical features and correlation with behavior, which could serve as a new transdiagnostic biomarker.

Conclusions

The results of this data-driven investigation provide greater neuroanatomical and neurodevelopmental specificity on how OFC is related to ERI. As such, findings link neuroanatomical characteristics to a trait that is highly predictive of psychopathology.

Cumulative ecological risk and nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescents: The mediation of depression and the moderation of impulsiveness

BACKGROUND

This study is based on the biosocial model of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), to explore the effects of cumulative ecological risk on adolescents' NSSI, the mediating effect of depression between cumulative ecological risk and adolescents' NSSI, and the moderating role of impulsiveness in this mediating pathway.

METHODS

A total of 16 508 adolescents, with 7903 males (47.9%), participated in the study and completed the Cumulative Ecological Risk Questionnaire, the Short Form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the Impulsiveness assessment, and the Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Scale.

RESULTS

(1) There was a significant positive correlation between cumulative ecological risk, depression, impulsiveness, and NSSI; (2) cumulative ecological risk significantly predicted adolescents' NSSI; (3) depression had a mediating effect between cumulative ecological risk and adolescents' NSSI; and (4) impulsiveness moderated both the effects of cumulative ecological risk on adolescents' depression and NSSI and the effects of depression on NSSI in adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Impulsiveness and depression are risk factors for adolescent NSSI and play a crucial role between cumulative ecological risk and NSSI in adolescents.

Who disengages from emotion and when? An EMA study of how urgency and distress intolerance relate to daily emotion regulation

Overreliance on disengagement emotion regulation strategies (e.g., emotion avoidance, emotion suppression) has been shown to relate to poor clinical outcomes. Two traits characterized by difficulties in goal-directed responses to emotion-urgency and distress intolerance-may help explain who is likely to disengage from emotion and when. These traits are associated with diverse forms of psychopathology and greater reliance on disengagement strategies. Gaps remain about how these traits relate to emotion regulation in daily life. The present study uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to determine the associations of urgency and distress intolerance with momentary high arousal negative affect and momentary attempts to regulate negative emotions. Participants (N = 101) were college students who endorsed at least weekly behaviors often characterized by emotion dysregulation (e.g., self-harm, binging/purging, alcohol/drug use). Participants completed trait measures at baseline and EMA surveys of momentary affect and emotion regulation, six times daily for 4 days. Results indicated that at certain levels, urgency and distress intolerance moderated the relationship between high arousal negative affect and disengagement from emotion: low urgency scores related to relatively greater disengagement from emotion following reported high arousal negative affect, whereas high distress intolerance scores related to relatively greater disengagement following high arousal negative affect. Findings support the role of both urgency and distress intolerance in the relationship between high arousal negative affect and disengagement, which implicates the utility of clinical interventions that focus on emotion regulation, especially during high arousal states. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Defining the p-factor: an empirical test of five leading theories

BACKGROUND

Despite statistical evidence of a general factor of psychopathology (i.e., p-factor), there is little agreement about what the p-factor represents. Researchers have proposed five theories: dispositional negative emotionality (neuroticism), impulsive responsivity to emotions (impulsivity), thought dysfunction, low cognitive functioning, and impairment. These theories have primarily been inferred from patterns of loadings of diagnoses on p-factors with different sets of diagnoses included in different studies. Researchers who have directly examined these theories of p have examined a subset of the theories in any single sample, limiting the ability to compare the size of their associations with a p-factor.

METHODS

In a sample of adults (N = 1833, Mage = 34.20, 54.4% female, 53.3% white) who completed diagnostic assessments, self-report measures, and cognitive tests, we evaluated statistical p-factor structures across modeling approaches and compared the strength of associations among the p-factor and indicators of each of these five theories.

RESULTS

We found consistent evidence of the p-factor's unidimensionality across one-factor and bifactor models. The p-factor was most strongly and similarly associated with neuroticism (r = .88), impairment (r = .88), and impulsivity (r = .87), χ2(1)s < .15, ps > .70, and less strongly associated with thought dysfunction (r = .78), χ2(1)s > 3.92, ps < .05, and cognitive functioning (r = -.25), χ2(1)s > 189.56, ps < .01.

CONCLUSIONS

We discuss a tripartite definition of p that involves the transaction of impulsive responses to frequent negative emotions leading to impairment that extends and synthesizes previous theories of psychopathology.

Emotion-related impulsivity and risky decision-making: A systematic review and meta-regression

Emotion-related impulsivity, the trait-like tendency toward regrettable behavior during states of high emotion, is a robust predictor of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Despite substantial evidence that emotion-related impulsivity is important transdiagnostically, relatively little is known about its cognitive correlates. This systematic review and meta-regression investigates one such candidate, risky decision-making. We analyzed 195 effect sizes from 51 studies of 14,957 total participants, including 105 newly calculated effect sizes that were not reported in the original publications. The meta-regression demonstrated evidence for a small, positive relationship of emotion-related impulsivity with behavioral indices of risky decision-making (ß = 0.086). Effects generalized across sample age, gender, Positive versus Negative Urgency, and clinical versus nonclinical samples. The average effect size varied by task type, with stronger effects for the Iowa Gambling Task and Delay Discounting Task. Experimental arousal manipulation was nearly a significant moderator, with stress and pharmacological manipulations yielding significant effect sizes. Analyses indicated that publication bias did not skew the current findings. Notwithstanding limitations, the data suggest that risky decision-making is a cognitive domain that relates to emotion-related impulsivity. We conclude with recommendations regarding the specific types of tasks and arousal inductions that will best capture emotion-related impulsivity in future experimental research.

Validity and Reliability of a Revised S-UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale: The Interplay between Impulsivity and Working Memory

Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct. The UPPS-P model of impulsivity differentiates five distinct dimensions: negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. The present study, reports the first translation and validation of the recently revised short form of the UPPS-P scale (S-UPPS-P) on a Persian-speaking sample, examining the relationship between impulsivity and working memory. who also completed the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Scales (BIS/BAS), and the Wechsler Digit Span Task (WDST). A series of confirmatory factor analyses, and Cronbach's alpha results supported the factor structure of the scale. The findings supported the S-UPPS-P model's hypothesized correlations with PANAS, aggressiveness, and the construct validity of the model. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that backward and forward digit span scores of the WDST predicted the S-UPPS-P impulsivity scores over the portion explained by BIS/BAS, PANAS, and aggression scores. To conclude, the revised S-UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale was well supported even in a very different population than usually sampled, adding to growing evidence that it assesses distinct but interrelated aspects of the impulsivity construct. Our findings also suggest that attentional capacities and working memory play important roles in the prediction of impulsivity.

Behavioral measures of impulsivity and compulsivity in adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury

BACKGROUND

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent among adolescents and research is needed to clarify the mechanisms which contribute to the behavior. Here, the authors relate behavioral neurocognitive measures of impulsivity and compulsivity to repetitive and sporadic NSSI in a community sample of adolescents.

METHODS

Computerized laboratory tasks (Affective Go/No-Go, Cambridge Gambling Task, and Probabilistic Reversal Task) were used to evaluate cognitive performance. Participants were adolescents aged 15 to 17 with (n = 50) and without (n = 190) NSSI history, sampled from the ROOTS project which recruited adolescents from secondary schools in Cambridgeshire, UK. NSSI was categorized as sporadic (1-3 instances per year) or repetitive (4 or more instances per year). Analyses were carried out in a series of linear and negative binomial regressions, controlling for age, gender, intelligence, and recent depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Adolescents with lifetime NSSI, and repetitive NSSI specifically, made significantly more perseverative errors on the Probabilistic Reversal Task and exhibited significantly lower quality of decision making on the Cambridge Gambling Task compared to no-NSSI controls. Those with sporadic NSSI did not significantly differ from no-NSSI controls on task performance. NSSI was not associated with behavioral measures of impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Repetitive NSSI is associated with increased behavioral compulsivity and disadvantageous decision making, but not with behavioral impulsivity. Future research should continue to investigate how neurocognitive phenotypes contribute to the onset and maintenance of NSSI, and determine whether compulsivity and addictive features of NSSI are potential targets for treatment.

The Impact of Self-Consistency Congruence on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in College Students: The Mediating Role of Negative Emotion and the Moderating Role of Gender

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) can be defined as the deliberate destruction of body tissues to generate harm. College students have a higher incidence of NSSI. With the deepening of research on college students' NSSI, the connection between their self-consistency congruence and NSSI has drawn the attention of many scholars. The current study examined the association between self-concordance and NSSI, the mediating function of negative emotions, and the moderating role of gender. We surveyed 1020 college students from three universities in Jiangxi Province using a self-concordant scale, a NSSI questionnaire, and a negative emotion questionnaire. The results showed that self-concordance was negatively correlated with NSSI. There is an obvious negative connection between self-consistency congruence and negative emotions. There was a significant positive correlation between negative emotions and the NSSI scores. Negative emotions could mediate the association between self-consistency congruence and NSSI. Compared to males, females' self-concordant effects on negative emotions are easier to moderate.

Painfully bored: the role of negative urgency and history of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Self-Administering painful stimuli

The current study aims to examine the causal effect of boredom on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), expanding prior experimental research by including an anger induction to compare to a boredom induction, and additionally measuring whether participants specifically seek painful stimulation. In a sample of mostly undergraduate students (N = 146), emotional state was manipulated through video induction, and NSSI behavior was simultaneously measured, operationalized through self-administration of electric shocks. Participants’ pain thresholds were measured beforehand. NSSI history and negative urgency were included as potential moderators. Results showed that boredom increased both frequency and intensity of self-administered electric shocks, especially in participants with an NSSI history. Negative urgency was not a significant moderator. No causal anger-NSSI link was found, possibly due to the anger induction not being sufficiently effective. Clinical implications are considered through suggestions of boredom coping skills training as an intervention strategy in NSSI populations.

Emotion-related impulsivity and rumination: Unique and conjoint effects on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury across two samples

INTRODUCTION

Rumination and emotion-related impulsivity predict suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Because rumination and emotion-related impulsivity, though, are highly correlated, we consider their unique vs. conjoint influence on suicidal ideation and self-harm.

METHOD

Across two samples of adults (N's = 171 and 191), we examined how rumination and emotion-related impulsivity relate to suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI. We assess the more general process of repetitive negative thinking and the more specific process of suicide-related rumination. Participants completed the Three-Factor Impulsivity Index and the self-report Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Those in sample 1 completed the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire and the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, and those in Sample 2 completed the Suicide Rumination Scale.

RESULTS

Emotion-related impulsivity and both forms of rumination showed robust bivariate correlations with suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI. Neither rumination or impulsivity related to suicide attempts controlling for ideation or to NSSI. In multivariable analyses, emotion-related impulsivity but not general rumination was tied to suicidal ideation. In contrast, suicide-related rumination was more directly tied to suicidal ideation than was impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide support for a more nuanced approach to the forms of impulsivity and rumination related to suicidal ideation.

Why Is Non-suicidal Self-injury More Common in Women? Mediation and Moderation Analyses of Psychological Distress, Emotion Dysregulation, and Impulsivity

OBJECTIVE

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) appears to be more common among women than men, though the underlying reasons for this remain unclear. In a community sample of young adults (N = 996, aged 18-33) assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated alternative explanation for the NSSI prevalence gap: are women more likely to experience the feelings which lead to NSSI as a coping strategy, or does this prevalence gap result from differences in how men and women respond to distress?

METHODS

Cross-sectional mediation and moderation analyses tested how self-reported psychological distress (K10), emotion dysregulation (DERS), and impulsivity (UPPS-P) may contribute to a higher prevalence of NSSI among women.

RESULTS

Women were twice as likely as men to report past-year NSSI (14.47% versus 7.78%, OR = 2.00, 95% CI [1.29, 3.13]). Women reported significantly higher psychological distress and significantly lower sensation seeking and positive urgency than men. Psychological distress partially statistically mediated the relationship between gender and past-year NSSI. Gender did not significantly moderate associations between psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, or impulsivity and past-year NSSI. Past-year NSSI prevalence did not significantly decrease with age and we found no significant age by gender interaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater levels of NSSI in young women are partly explained by their greater levels of psychological distress, but not by differences in how men and women respond to this distress. Given similar levels of psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity, women and men are similarly likely to experience NSSI. HighlightsWomen aged 18-33 were significantly more likely to report past-year NSSI than menWomen's greater psychological distress contributed to their higher NSSI prevalenceVariables investigated here were similarly associated with NSSI in men and women.

Early Life Trauma, Suicide Ideation, and Suicide Attempts: The Role of Rumination and Impulsivity

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults in the United States. One of the many risk factors for suicide includes exposure to early life trauma. The present study examined whether rumination and impulsivity play a role in the relationship between early life trauma and increased risk for suicidal behavior (i.e., suicide ideation and suicide attempts) among 426 young adults. Early life trauma was associated with brooding, reflective rumination, and impulsivity in the form of negative urgency. Current or recent suicide ideators self-reported greater early life trauma, ruminative thinking, and impulsivity than non-ideators and non-attempters. Further, a multinomial logistic regression found that early life trauma, reflection, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance were associated with higher odds of reporting suicide ideation in the previous 6 months. We also found indirect relationships between early life trauma and suicide ideation through brooding or reflection and lack of perseverance in serial mediation analyses. These findings suggest that early life trauma may increase risk of suicide ideation to the degree that it leads to ruminative thinking and lack of follow-through with difficult tasks. How early life trauma might increase risk for ruminative thinking, impulsivity, and subsequent suicidal behavior is discussed.

The subjective experience of non-suicidal self-injury among female Chinese university students

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among female Chinese university students in Hong Kong.

DESIGN

Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used.

METHODS

Seven female students participated in the study, two engaged in biting and scratching, and three in cutting.

RESULTS

The majority of them indicated negative attitudes towards NSSI and saw no particular meaning attached to it. However, they all persisted with their behaviours, which suggested that they were unable to stop. Students found themselves in a paradoxical situation whereby although they saw no real benefit of NSSI, they still engaged in it to cope with distress. Feelings characterised by this distress were about entrapment and issues with academia, intimacy, loneliness, insecurity, negative self-worth, regulating distressing emotions, increasing positive physical sensations, healing oneself, and feeling alive.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience of hurting themselves persistently for these female students symbolised their struggle with academic or relationship difficulties, self-acceptance, emotional regulation and survival without self-injury.

No evidence for trait- and state-level urgency moderating the daily association between negative affect and subsequent alcohol use in two college samples

It remains unclear whether the negative reinforcement pathway to problematic drinking exists, and if so, for whom. One idea that has received some support recently is that people who tend to act impulsively in response to negative emotions (i.e. people high in negative urgency) may specifically respond to negative affect with increased alcohol consumption. We tested this idea in a preregistered secondary data analysis of two ecological momentary assessment studies using college samples. Participants (N = 226) reported on their current affective state multiple times per day and also the following morning reported alcohol use of the previous night. We assessed urgency both at baseline and during the momentary affect assessments. Results from our Bayesian model comparison procedure, which penalises increasing model complexity, indicate that no combination of the variables of interest (negative affect, urgency, and the respective interactions) outperformed a baseline model that included two known demographic predictors of alcohol use. A non-preregistered exploratory analysis provided some evidence for the effect of daily positive affect, positive urgency, as well as their interaction on subsequent alcohol use. Taken together, our results suggest that college students' drinking may be better described by a positive rather than negative reinforcement cycle.

Mixture Modeling of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Binge Eating: Behaviors and Motives

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and binge eating frequently co-occur. These behaviors are often used to alleviate distress. Previous studies examining this co-occurrence have used a variable-centered approach. The current study used a person-centered approach (mixture modeling) to examine how individuals cluster in groups based on their past-month NSSI, past-month objective and subjective binge episodes (OBEs and SBEs, respectively), and endorsement of coping motives for NSSI and eating in two large samples of emerging adults. Validators included self-report measures of emotion regulation, impulsivity, and negative affect. In Study 1, additional validators included lifetime history of mental health treatment and suicide attempts. In Study 2, additional validators included child abuse history. In both Study 1 and Study 2, a three-class solution provided the most interpretable fit with classes characterized as (a) low psychopathology; (b) the presence of OBEs and NSSI, and endorsement of NSSI coping motives; and (c) the presence of SBEs and NSSI, and endorsement of high levels of NSSI coping motives. In both studies, eating motives were equivalent in Classes 2 and 3, but NSSI motives were most strongly endorsed by Class 3. In Study 1, Class 2 endorsed higher rates of lifetime suicide attempts than Class 3. In Study 2, both Class 2 and Class 3 endorsed higher rates of child abuse than Class 1, although they did not differ from each other. The class structure and validator analysis were consistent across samples and measures. Results suggest that binge eating and NSSI tend to cluster together in otherwise healthy emerging adults.

Emotional response inhibition to self-harm stimuli interacts with momentary negative affect to predict nonsuicidal self-injury urges

The current study investigated whether impaired emotional response inhibition to self-harm stimuli is a risk factor for real-time nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) urges. Participants were 60 university students with a history of repetitive NSSI. At baseline, participants completed an emotional stop-signal task assessing response inhibition to self-harm stimuli. Participants subsequently completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol in which they reported negative affect, urgency, and NSSI urge intensity three times daily over a ten-day period. Impaired emotional response inhibition to self-harm stimuli did not evidence a main effect on the strength of momentary NSSI urges. However, emotional response inhibition to self-harm images interacted with momentary negative affect to predict the strength of real-time NSSI urges, after adjusting for emotional response inhibition to neutral images. Our findings suggest that emotional response inhibition deficits specifically to self-harm stimuli may pose vulnerability for increased NSSI urge intensity during real-time, state-level negative affect.

Nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide attempts are uniquely associated with eating disorder pathology and behaviors over and above negative urgency

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behaviors are prevalent in individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Negative urgency (NU; the tendency to act rashly when distressed) is a common correlate of NSSI, suicide, and ED pathology. The aim of this study was to examine whether lifetime history of NSSI and suicide attempts (SA) contributed unique variance to current ED pathology after controlling for the variance accounted for by NU. Undergraduate students (N = 871; 25.4% male) self-reported lifetime SA and completed a modified Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory to assess lifetime NSSI, the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and the NU scale of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale-Revised. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that lifetime NSSI but not SA was associated with higher Global EDE-Q scores (NSSI: β = 0.11, p < .001; SA: β = 0.007, p > .05) and restrictive eating (NSSI: β = 0.10, p < .001; SA: β = 0.05, p > .05) after controlling for NU. In addition, lifetime NSSI (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.54-5.76) and SA (OR = 5.68, 95% CI = 1.90-17.02) were significantly associated with past month purging but not binge eating after controlling for NU. Results suggest that NSSI is uniquely associated with increased likelihood of past month ED pathology in a nonclinical sample. Study limitations included low rates of behavioral problems in the sample and no measures of suicidal ideation. Clinicians who treat EDs should regularly assess NSSI and suicidal ideation.

Before the damage is done: Early childhood hyperactivity difficulties in adolescents with deliberate self-harm - findings from the DALSC cohort

BACKGROUND

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a growing issue among Danish adolescents, and a dramatic increase in the incidence of DSH has been observed since the turn of the millennium. The importance of early childhood factors on later development has been established, but research on the trajectories of DSH is still scarce, and longitudinal studies are much needed.

METHOD

Participants were 3,291 children and their mothers from The Danish Longitudinal Survey of Children (DALSC), a Danish population-based birth cohort from 1995. Logistic regression and mediation analyses were used to examine significant early childhood determinants of self-harming behavior in adolescence.

RESULTS

The study found that 17.9% of the children had a history with DSH at the age of 18 years. A significant relationship was found between the likelihood of DSH at the age of 18 years and hyperactivity difficulties assessed through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 3 and 7 years of age. Using a mediation model, it is documented that difficulties in peer relationships at the age of 11 years is a partial mediator explaining 19% of the variation.

LIMITATIONS

i) a vague definition of self-harm in the questionnaires; ii) lack of sample representation as children of lower socio-economic groups have lower participation rates, and only Danish-ethnicity children have been sampled; iii) possibility of omitted variable bias.

CONCLUSION

The adolescents engaging in DSH are experiencing a more complex range of psychosocial problems than those who do not have experience with DSH. The main finding of the study is that hyperactivity as a risk factor for the development of DSH in adolescence can be identified as early as 3-7 years of age. This relationship between the very early occurring hyperactivity and later DSH, to the best of our knowledge, has not previously been described.

Prospective Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Predictors of Initiation and Cessation of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents

(1) Purpose: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) possibly emerges as well as remits in adolescence. To explore the development and transition of NSSI, this study examined the association between a wide range of interpersonal and intrapersonal predictors of NSSI initiation and cessation. (2) Methods: Chinese adolescents (N = 913) completed self-reported surveys at baseline and at a six-month follow-up. The sample included 625 adolescents who reported no NSSI and 288 adolescents who reported engagement in NSSI at baseline. (3) Results: Among the adolescents without NSSI at baseline, 24.3% engaged in NSSI at follow-up (NSSI initiation group). Among the adolescents with NSSI at baseline, 33.3% reported no NSSI at follow-up (NSSI cessation group). Loneliness, beliefs about adversity, problem behavior, and prosocial behavior were the significant factors in predicting subsequent NSSI initiation. None of the potential predicting factors were associated with subsequent NSSI cessation. (4) Conclusions: These results indicate the importance of intrapersonal factors in Chinese culture, which could be used to identify at-risk adolescents and to design interventions.

The relationship of the UPPS model of impulsivity on bulimic symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury in transgender youth

OBJECTIVE

This brief report examined the relationship of negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly in response to negative emotional states), (lack of) perseverance, (lack of) premeditation, and sensation seeking in association with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN) in a sample of treatment-seeking transgender (TG) youth.

METHOD

Eighty-six TG youth with a mean age of 17 (sd = 3.2) agreed to participate in the study. The majority of our sample identified as TG male (n = 60) with 20 participants identifying as TG female and 6 identifying as non-binary. The racial ethnic breakdown of our sample was 8.2% Black, 8.2% Multi-racial, 1.2% Native American, and 82.4% White. Over ¼ of our sample endorsed at least one episode of objective binge eating in the last 28 days and 62% endorsed a history of NSSI.

RESULTS

Negative urgency was significantly associated with the odds of NSSI, objective binge eating, and general eating disorder symptoms. Lack of premeditation was significantly related to the odds of NSSI only. No other factors were significantly associated with NSSI or symptoms of BN.

CONCLUSIONS

Negative urgency appears to be an important personality construct in understanding increased risk for NSSI and BN symptoms in transgender youth.

Psychological inflexibility processes and nonsuicidal self-injury: Concurrent and prospective associations

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine concurrent and 3-month prospective associations between a multidimensional measure of psychological inflexibility and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among participants with a self-harm history.

METHOD

Participants completed measures of NSSI, psychological inflexibility, negative urgency, and depression at baseline (N = 106, M_age  = 34.70, SD = 9.43, 66% women), and were again assessed at follow-up (N = 86).

RESULTS

Participants currently engaging in NSSI reported significantly higher psychological inflexibility as compared to those who have ceased NSSI. After controlling for covariates, psychological inflexibility was concurrently associated with NSSI recency and longitudinally predicted perceived likelihood of future NSSI. Psychological inflexibility was not associated with new NSSI acts after including baseline covariates. Finally, psychological inflexibility subscales demonstrated differential relationships with various NSSI functions.

CONCLUSION

Results highlight the psychological inflexibility model's utility in understanding NSSI and have implications for future research that may inform clinical practice.

Impulsivity as a predictor of self-harm onset and maintenance in young adolescents: a longitudinal prospective study

BACKGROUND

Rates of self-harm in young adolescents are increasing and self-harm typically emerges at this developmental stage. Greater specificity of impulsivity as a multifaceted construct is enabling investigation of links between individual impulsivity facets and self-harm outcomes. However, studies have yet to adequately explore these associations in young adolescents, and prospective relationships between multidimensional impulsivity and self-harm in younger adolescents remain untested. This study investigates unidimensional facets of impulsivity as risk-factors for the emergence and maintenance of self-harm, specifically within young community-based adolescents.

METHODS

A school-based sample of 594 adolescents (aged 13-15 years) provided data at two time points, 12 weeks apart. Logistic regression analyses determined associations between impulsivity-related facets (as delineated by the UPPS-P scale) and self-harm outcomes over time.

RESULTS

Overall, 23.6% of young people reported lifetime self-harm. A higher tendency towards Sensation Seeking was associated with self-harm onset over the study-period (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.017-1.401). Deficits in Premeditation predicted maintained (versus remitted) self-harm behaviour during this time (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.013-1.328). Negative Urgency was a significant cross-sectional correlate, but did not offer prospective predictive utility.

LIMITATIONS

The study relied on self-report. Interpretations are cautious given low incidence of self-harm outcomes over the course of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

Separate pathways to impulsive behaviour describe the psychological context in which self-harm starts and develops in young people. Findings support differential treatment targets and developmentally-focused early intervention. The predictive utility of impulsivity was inconsistent between cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, underlining the role for temporality in the establishment of risk of self-harm.

Nonsuicidal self-injury, difficulties in emotion regulation, negative urgency, and childhood invalidation: A study with outpatients with eating disorders

OBJECTIVES

Among outpatients with eating disorders (ED), we compared participants without nonsuicidal self-injury (non-NSSI group), with NSSI over a year ago (past NSSI group) and with NSSI in the previous year (current NSSI group) regarding different variables, and examined whether difficulties in emotion regulation and negative urgency moderated the relationship between maternal/paternal invalidation and NSSI.

METHOD

The sample included 171 outpatients (94.2% female; M_age  = 28.78, SD_age  = 11.19).

RESULTS

Fifty-four participants (31.6%) had NSSI in the previous year. This group showed higher eating pathology, difficulties in emotion regulation, negative urgency, and maternal/paternal invalidation than the non-NSSI group. Analyses revealed an adequate fit to the data for the model that included moderating effects of emotional awareness and negative urgency in the relationship between maternal/paternal invalidation and increased likelihood of NSSI in the previous year.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions for NSSI and ED should include emotion regulation, impulse control, and validation strategies.

From Urges to Action: Negative Urgency and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in an Acute Transdiagnostic Sample

Urgency-rash action during strong emotion-is a robust correlate of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). This study tested whether urgency is associated with time between NSSI urges and NSSI, and sought to replicate the finding that urgency is associated with NSSI history. Participants attending a partial hospitalization program (N = 669) completed self-report measures of urgency, NSSI history and latency, and psychiatric symptoms. Consistent with previous research in clinical samples, rates of lifetime engagement in NSSI were high. Using logistic regression to predict short vs. long latency between urges and NSSI, no significant relationship emerged between negative urgency and latency to self-injure. Negative urgency more than doubled the likelihood of NSSI history (p < .001, OR = 2.39). In addition, exploratory analyses revealed several links between NSSI latency and negative urgency. Results confirm that urgency is robustly related to NSSI, yet also suggest that more research is needed to understand how urgency relates to the parameters of NSSI within those who self-injure. Use of retrospective self-report measures may limit the ability to test links between urgency and latency of NSSI.

Negative affect, affect-related impulsivity, and receptive syringe sharing among people who inject drugs

Receptive syringe sharing (RSS) among people who inject drugs (PWID) is a risk factor for hepatitis C virus and HIV infections. PWID with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have increased risk of RSS, but it remains unclear what drives this association. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to study characteristics associated with BPD, and RSS among PWID. We recruited PWID, ages 18-35, through two Community Outreach Intervention Projects syringe service program sites in Chicago, Illinois. After a baseline interview, participants used a mobile phone app to respond to momentary surveys on mood, substance use, and injection risk behavior for two weeks. For each momentary assessment, ratings on negative mood descriptors were combined to create measures of total negative affect (NA), and NA components of dejection, shame, anger, irritability, and worry. RSS was defined by participant responses indicating that they had used a syringe that someone else had used. We estimated mixed effects logistic models, regressing RSS on baseline affect-related impulsivity, lagged momentary NA, and the interaction term. Out of 163 participants who completed at least two EMA assessments, 152 (93%) reported at least one injection event and had valid pre-injection mood assessments required to be included in the analysis. We found that affect-related impulsivity, combined with worried mood in the hours preceding the injection episode, predicted increased risk of RSS. PWID having difficulties with emotion regulation may be at increased risk of RSS during periods of anxiety or tension. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Temperament and Character Traits of Female Eating Disorder Patients with(out) Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Eating disorder (ED) patients show alarmingly high prevalence rates of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI). Adolescents seem to be particularly at risk, as EDs and NSSI both have their onset in mid-adolescence. It has been suggested that personality could be a transdiagnostic mechanism underlying both EDs and NSSI. However, little attention has been given to adolescent clinical samples compared to adult and/or community samples. Therefore, the current study investigated the role of personality in a sample of 189 female inpatients with an ED (M = 15.93, SD = 0.98). Our results confirmed the high prevalence of NSSI in EDs, specifically in patients with bingeing/purging behaviours (ED-BP). Temperamental differences were found between ED-BP and the restrictive ED subtype (ED-R). Namely, ED-BP patients showed more harm avoidance and less self-directedness compared to ED-R. Temperamental differences were found in NSSI as well, regardless of ED subtype: ED patients who had engaged in NSSI during their lifetime reported less self-directedness and more harm avoidance. Interestingly, only ED patients who recently engaged in NSSI showed less novelty seeking. These temperamental profiles should be recognised as key mechanisms in the treatment of adolescent ED patients with and without NSSI.

Executive Functions and Impulsivity are Genetically Distinct and Independently Predict Psychopathology: Results from Two Adult Twin Studies

Laboratory executive function (EF) constructs, such as response inhibition, are often conceptually linked with self-report measures of impulsivity, yet their empirical correlations are low. We examined, in two twin studies (Ns=749 and 761 individuals with EF data), the phenotypic and genetic overlap of three EF latent variables (a Common EF factor predicting response inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set shifting tasks, and Updating- and Shifting-specific factors) with five impulsivity dimensions (negative and positive urgency, lack of premeditation and perseverance, and sensation seeking). In both samples, impulsivity dimensions only modestly correlated phenotypically (rs= -.20-.11) and genetically (rAs= -.44-.04) with Common EF. In both samples, Common EF and multiple impulsivity dimensions, particularly negative urgency, independently predicted Externalizing psychopathology, and multiple impulsivity dimensions, but not Common EF, predicted Internalizing psychopathology. These results suggest that EFs and self-reported impulsivity tap different aspects of control that are both relevant for psychopathology.

Can transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improve impulsivity in healthy and psychiatric adult populations? A systematic review

Impulsivity is a multidimensional phenomenon that remains hard to define. It compounds the core pathological construct of many neuropsychiatric illnesses, and despite its close relation to suicide risk, it currently has no specific treatment. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique whose application results in cognitive function improvement, both in healthy and psychiatric populations. Following PRISMA recommendations, a systematic review of the literature concerning tDCS's effects on impulsive behaviour was performed using the PubMed database. The research was based on the combination of the keyword 'tDCS' with 'impulsivity', 'response inhibition', 'risk-taking', 'planning', 'delay discounting' or 'craving'. The initial search yielded 309 articles, 92 of which were included. Seventy-four papers demonstrated improvement in task performance related to impulsivity in both healthy and clinical adult populations. However, results were often inconsistent. The conditions associated with improvement, such as tDCS parameters and other aspects that may influence tDCS's outcomes, are discussed. The overall effects of tDCS on impulsivity are promising. Yet further research is required to develop a more comprehensive understanding of impulsivity, allowing for a more accurate assessment of its behavioural outcomes as well as a definition of tDCS therapeutic protocols for impulsive disorders.

Emotional Response Inhibition: A Shared Neurocognitive Deficit in Eating Disorder Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Eating disorder (ED) symptoms often co-occur with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This comorbidity is consistent with evidence that trait negative urgency increases risk for both of these phenomena. We previously found that impaired late-stage negative emotional response inhibition (i.e., negative emotional action termination or NEAT) might represent a neurocognitive mechanism for heightened negative urgency among people with NSSI history. The current study evaluated whether relations between negative urgency and ED symptoms similarly reflect deficits in this neurocognitive process. A total of 105 community adults completed an assessment of ED symptoms, negative urgency, and an emotional response inhibition task. Results indicated that, contrary to predictions, negative urgency and NEAT contributed independent variance to the prediction of ED symptoms, while controlling for demographic covariates and NSSI history. Worse NEAT was also uniquely associated with restrictive eating, after accounting for negative urgency. Our findings suggest that difficulty inhibiting ongoing motor responses triggered by negative emotional reactions (i.e., NEAT) may be a shared neurocognitive characteristic of ED symptoms and NSSI. However, negative urgency and NEAT dysfunction capture separate variance in the prediction of ED-related cognitions and behaviors, distinct from the pattern of results we previously observed in NSSI.

Impulsive Responses to Positive and Negative Emotions: Parallel Neurocognitive Correlates and Their Implications

Theory about the conceptual basis of psychiatric disorders has long emphasized negative emotionality. More recent ideas emphasize roles for positive emotionality and impulsivity as well. This review examines impulsive responses to positive and negative emotions, which have been labeled as urgency. Urgency is conceptually and empirically distinct from other forms of impulsivity. A large body of work indicates that urgency is more robustly related to psychopathology than are other forms of impulsivity. Researchers have considered 4 neurocognitive models of urgency: excessive emotion generation, poor emotion regulation, risky decision making, and poor cognitive control. Little evidence supports emotion generation or risky decision making as the core issues driving urgency. Rather, urgency appears related to dysfunction in key hubs implicated in the integration of cognitive control and emotion regulation (e.g., the orbitofrontal cortex and anterior insula), expressed as response inhibition deficits that emerge most robustly in high arousal contexts. These neurocognitive processes appear remarkably parallel for positive and negative urgency. We provide methodological suggestions and theoretical hypotheses to guide future research.

The General Factor of Psychopathology

An important advance in understanding and defining mental disorders has been the development of empirical approaches to mapping dimensions of dysfunction and their interrelatedness. Such empirical approaches have consistently observed intercorrelations among the many forms of psychopathology, leading to the identification of a general factor of psychopathology (the p factor). In this article, we review empirical support for p, including evidence for the stability and criterion validity of p. Further, we discuss the strong relationship between p and both the general factor of personality and the general factor of personality disorder, substantive interpretations of p, and the potential clinical utility of p. We posit that proposed substantive interpretations of p do not explain the full range of symptomatology typically included in p. The most plausible explanation is that p represents an index of impairment that has the potential to inform the duration and intensity of a client's mental health treatment.

Behavioral and Neuroanatomical Account of Impulsivity in Parkinson's Disease

Impulse control disorder (ICD) is a major non-motor complication of Parkinson's disease (PD) with often devastating consequences for patients' quality of life. In this study, we aimed to characterize the phenotype of impulsivity in PD and its neuroanatomical correlates.

Methods: Thirty-seven PD patients (15 patients with ICD, 22 patients without ICD) and 36 healthy controls underwent a neuropsychological battery. The test battery consisted of anxiety and depression scales, self-report measures of impulsivity (Barratt scale and UPPS-P), behavioral measures of impulsive action (Go/No-Go task, Stop signal task) and impulsive choice (Delay discounting, Iowa gambling task), and measures of cognitive abilities (working memory, attention, executive function). Patients and controls underwent structural MRI scanning.

Results: Patients with ICD had significantly higher levels of self-reported impulsivity (Barratt scale and Lack of perseverance from UPPS-P) in comparison with healthy controls and non-impulsive PD patients, but they performed similarly in behavioral tasks, except for the Iowa gambling task. In this task, patients with ICD made significantly less risky decisions than patients without ICD and healthy controls. Patients without ICD did not differ from healthy controls in self-reported impulsivity or behavioral measurements. Both patient groups were more anxious and depressive than healthy controls. MRI scanning revealed structural differences in cortical areas related to impulse control in both patient groups. Patients without ICD had lower volumes and cortical thickness of bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Patients with ICD had higher volumes of right caudal anterior cingulate and rostral middle frontal cortex.

Conclusions: Despite the presence of ICD as confirmed by both clinical follow-up and self-reported impulsivity scales and supported by structural differences in various neural nodes related to inhibitory control and reward processing, patients with ICD performed no worse than healthy controls in various behavioral tasks previously hypothesized as robust impulsivity measures. These results call for caution against impetuous interpretation of behavioral tests, since various factors may and will influence the ultimate outcomes, be it the lack of sensitivity in specific, limited ICD subtypes, excessive caution of ICD patients during testing due to previous negative experience rendering simplistic tasks insufficient, or other, as of now unknown aspects, calling for further research.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Eating Disordered Behaviors: An Update on What We Do and Do Not Know

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The current report aims to summarize recent advances about the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and eating disordered (ED) behaviors and highlights meaningful directions for future research.

RECENT FINDINGS

While there is solid evidence indicating a robust cross-sectional association between NSSI and ED behaviors, emerging evidence suggests that the temporal relationship between these behaviors may be bidirectional. Shared functions and risk factors may explain why these behaviors often co-develop. At the same time, little is still known about the psychosocial consequences of comorbid NSSI and ED engagement, and there is a lack of intervention studies that target these behaviors simultaneously. It is well-established that NSSI and ED behaviors frequently co-occur. The field should now turn to longitudinal designs to advance our understanding of the longer-term developmental and the shorter-term momentary relationship of these behaviors in daily life. Providing insight into these areas will help guide the deployment of evidence-based interventions that match the needs of clients who report comorbid NSSI and ED behaviors.

Predicting the incidence of non-suicidal self-injury in college students

Background:

Despite increased awareness that non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) poses a significant public health concern on college campuses worldwide, few studies have prospectively investigated the incidence of NSSI in college and considered targeting college entrants at high risk for onset of NSSI.

Methods:

Using data from the Leuven College Surveys (n = 4,565; 56.8%female, Mage = 18.3, SD = 1.1), students provided data on NSSI, sociodemographics, traumatic experiences, stressful events, perceived social support, and mental disorders. A total of 2,163 baseline responders provided data at a two-year annual follow-up assessment (63.2% conditional response rate).

Results:

One-year incidence of first onset NSSI was 10.3% in year 1 and 6.0% in year 2, with a total of 8.6% reporting sporadic NSSI (1–4 times per year) and 7.0% reporting repetitive NSSI (≥ 5 times per year) during the first two years of college. Many hypothesized proximal and distal risk factors were associated with the subsequent onset of NSSI (ORs = 1.5–18.2). Dating violence prior to age 17 and severe role impairment in daily life were the strongest predictors. Multivariate prediction suggests that an intervention focused on the 10% at highest risk would reach 23.9% of students who report sporadic, and 36.1% of students who report repetitive NSSI during college (cross-validated AUCs =.70–.75).

Discussion:

The college period carries high risk for the onset of NSSI. Individualized web-based screening may be a promising approach for detecting young adults at high risk for self-injury and offering timely intervention.

The association of trait impulsivity and suicidal ideation and its fluctuation in the context of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

BACKGROUND

Although the relationship of trait impulsivity and suicidal behavior is well established, its relationship with suicidal ideation and its fluctuation still remains unclear. Our aim is to examine (1) the relationship of trait impulsivity and suicidal ideation and behavior in the context of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) and (2) the association of trait impulsivity with the fluctuation of suicidal ideation in an inpatient sample with unipolar depression.

METHOD

Eighty-four inpatients with unipolar depression and current and/or lifetime suicidal ideation were assessed with a baseline assessment including trait impulsivity, suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior and the constructs of the IPTS. Seventy-four of these patients underwent a 6-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) with 10 assessments per day across six days assessing passive and active suicidal ideation. Mean squared successive differences (MSSD) across EMA assessments of suicidal ideation were calculated to test fluctuation as an indicator of temporal variability. Correlation analyses were conducted to test the associations.

RESULTS

There were no associations of trait impulsivity with suicidal ideation, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, except the rather low but significant association between thwarted belongingness and the attention subdomain of trait impulsivity (r = 0.23*, p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, trait impulsivity showed a significant positive correlation with capability for suicide but not with the two subdomains of capability for suicide. The only significant but rather low correlation was identified between the motor aspect of trait impulsivity and fearlessness about death (r = 0.26, p ≤ 0.01). Suicidal behavior showed a positive correlation with trait impulsivity, but not with the different subdomains of trait impulsivity. Trait impulsivity showed a significant correlation with the MSSD of passive suicidal ideation (r = 0.26, p ≤ 0.05), but not with active suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the motor aspect of trait impulsivity (BIS motor) showed a significant correlation (r = 0.32, p ≤ 0.01) with the MSSD of passive suicidal ideation, but not with active suicidal ideation or the MSSD total score.

CONCLUSION

Overall the findings are in line with our assumptions and the IPTS and underline that trait impulsivity is related to suicidal behavior and the fluctuation of suicidal ideation, but not to suicidal ideation itself. Thus, trait impulsivity seems to act as a distal risk factor via capability for suicide and it seems to play a role for the dynamics of suicidal ideation. The results have to be investigated in larger samples, with a higher risk of suicide and in prospective studies. Moreover, the role of the fluctuation of suicidal ideation for the prediction of suicide risk should be investigated in future studies.

Negative Emotional Action Termination (NEAT): Support for a Cognitive Mechanism Underlying Negative Urgency in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Negative urgency, the self-reported tendency to act impulsively when distressed, increases risk for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). NSSI is also associated with impaired negative emotional response inhibition (NERI), specifically negative emotional action termination (NEAT), a cognitive process theoretically related to negative urgency. We previously found that adults with NSSI history had difficulty inhibiting behavioral responses to affective images depicting negative content (but not positive or neutral images) in an Emotional Stop-Signal Task. We sought to replicate this finding, determine whether this deficit extends to negative emotional action suppression (NEAS; an earlier stage of NERI), and explore whether impairment in these two stages of emotional response inhibition helps explain the relationship between negative urgency and NSSI. Eighty-eight adults with NSSI history (n = 45) and healthy control participants (n = 43) without NSSI history or psychopathology completed a clinical interview, symptom inventories, an impulsivity questionnaire, and behavioral assays of early and late NERI (NEAS and NEAT, respectively). The NSSI group had worse NEAT than the control group in the Emotional Stop-Signal Task, but no group differences in NEAS were observed in an Emotional Go/No-go task. However, both early and late stages of NERI accounted for independent variance in negative urgency. We additionally found that NEAT explained variance in the association between negative urgency and NSSI. These results suggest that impulsive behavior in NSSI may involve specifically impaired inhibitory control over initiated negative emotional impulses. This deficit in late response inhibition to negative emotional stimuli might reflect a cognitive mechanism or pathway to elevated negative urgency among people who self-injure.

Impulsigenic personality: Is urgency an example of the jangle fallacy?

Negative and positive urgency (the disposition to act rashly when in a highly negative or positive mood, respectively) have been identified as strong correlates of problem drinking and other addictive behaviors and potent predictors of subsequent drinking onset and increase (Peterson & Smith, 2017; Smith & Cyders, 2016). An unaddressed, important question about the validity of the urgency traits is whether they represent functionally distinct constructs or simply the interaction between lack of planning (the disposition to act rashly) and negative or positive affectivity (the disposition to experience negative or positive mood). If urgency is better represented by interactions between lack of planning and affect, there is no need for urgency risk models or separate urgency measures (Smith & Cyders, 2016). In a longitudinal adolescent sample, we tested whether (a) negative urgency differed from the interaction between lack of planning and negative affect, (b) positive urgency differed from the interaction between lack of planning and positive affect, and (c) each urgency trait predicted the subsequent onset of, and increases in, drinking behavior separately from the corresponding interaction. We found that (a) the corresponding interaction accounted for only 1-3% of the variance in negative or positive urgency, and (b) negative (or positive) urgency prospectively predicted drinking behavior but the corresponding interaction did not. These findings suggest that the urgency traits are distinct from interactions between affect and lack of planning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in reducing impulsivity in borderline personality disorder (TIMBER): study protocol of a randomized controlled clinical trial

Background

Impulsivity is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and is closely related to suicide risk and destructive and aggressive behaviors. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown its promising effects as an intervention to modulate impulsivity, no study has explored its potential regarding BPD.

Methods/design

This is a multicenter, crossover, double-blind study comparing active versus sham tDCS (2 mA, 30 min), applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for five consecutive days in 50 BPD patients. Participants will be assessed for impulsivity, depressive symptoms, and suicide risk. The main efficacy criteria on reduction of impulsivity will be the amplitude variation of one specific evoked potential detected by electroencephalography (EEG) during the balloon analogue risk task. Baseline measures will be compared to scores obtained immediately after sessions, then 12 and 30 days later.

Discussion

This study investigates the safety and effects of tDCS, which may have a significant impact on impulsivity in patients with BPD and may be useful to reduce risky behaviors.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03498937. Registered on 17 April 2018.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3427-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.