Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression

Objective: The independent rôle of impulsivity in alcoholism patient’s suicidality is less elucidated. In this study, we intended to investigate how impulsivity and depression contribute to suicidality in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods: We recruited 27 adult patients with AUD and...

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Main Authors: Vincent Xi-Yu Wang, Ding-Lieh Liao, En-Liang Wu, Chiang-Shan Ray Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-12-01
Series:Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/TPSY.TPSY_31_24
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author Vincent Xi-Yu Wang
Ding-Lieh Liao
En-Liang Wu
Chiang-Shan Ray Li
author_facet Vincent Xi-Yu Wang
Ding-Lieh Liao
En-Liang Wu
Chiang-Shan Ray Li
author_sort Vincent Xi-Yu Wang
collection DOAJ
description Objective: The independent rôle of impulsivity in alcoholism patient’s suicidality is less elucidated. In this study, we intended to investigate how impulsivity and depression contribute to suicidality in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods: We recruited 27 adult patients with AUD and major depressive disorder (AUD with MDD) and 33 with AUD only (AUD without MDD). We assessed suicidality, alcohol use severity, depression severity, impulsivity, and other psychiatric comorbidities. Suicidality was quantified for the frequency of previous history of suicide attempts and for current suicide intent/tendency. Impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). We addressed how impulsivity contributed to both suicidality indices in multiple ordinal regressions. Results: Patients with AUD with MDD versus those with AUD without MDD showed significantly higher suicidality (p < 0.001), significantly more severe alcohol (p < 0.01), significantly more polysubstance use (p < 0.05), significantly more anxiety comorbidities (p < 0.05), and significantly higher BIS scores (p < 0.001). In a better-fitting final model using regression with stepwise elimination, the BIS total score was independently and significantly associated with current suicide tendency (p < 0.05) and frequency of previous suicide attempts (p < 0.01). In contrast, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 score was significantly associated only with current suicidal tendencies (p < 0.01), but not with the frequency of previous attempts. Conclusion: Depressed patients relative to nondepressed individuals with AUD showed higher suicidality, Barratt impulsivity, and severity of alcohol use. Across groups, BIS impulsivity but not the severity of depression was found to predict suicidality. We suggest that suicide prevention efforts may include assessment of impulsivity in AUD patients.
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spelling doaj-art-ef0e61fa04ea4170b7ce1188a4b4b2d52025-01-16T08:36:46ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsTaiwanese Journal of Psychiatry1028-36842666-20782024-12-0138417117610.4103/TPSY.TPSY_31_24Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid DepressionVincent Xi-Yu WangDing-Lieh LiaoEn-Liang WuChiang-Shan Ray LiObjective: The independent rôle of impulsivity in alcoholism patient’s suicidality is less elucidated. In this study, we intended to investigate how impulsivity and depression contribute to suicidality in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods: We recruited 27 adult patients with AUD and major depressive disorder (AUD with MDD) and 33 with AUD only (AUD without MDD). We assessed suicidality, alcohol use severity, depression severity, impulsivity, and other psychiatric comorbidities. Suicidality was quantified for the frequency of previous history of suicide attempts and for current suicide intent/tendency. Impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). We addressed how impulsivity contributed to both suicidality indices in multiple ordinal regressions. Results: Patients with AUD with MDD versus those with AUD without MDD showed significantly higher suicidality (p < 0.001), significantly more severe alcohol (p < 0.01), significantly more polysubstance use (p < 0.05), significantly more anxiety comorbidities (p < 0.05), and significantly higher BIS scores (p < 0.001). In a better-fitting final model using regression with stepwise elimination, the BIS total score was independently and significantly associated with current suicide tendency (p < 0.05) and frequency of previous suicide attempts (p < 0.01). In contrast, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 score was significantly associated only with current suicidal tendencies (p < 0.01), but not with the frequency of previous attempts. Conclusion: Depressed patients relative to nondepressed individuals with AUD showed higher suicidality, Barratt impulsivity, and severity of alcohol use. Across groups, BIS impulsivity but not the severity of depression was found to predict suicidality. We suggest that suicide prevention efforts may include assessment of impulsivity in AUD patients.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/TPSY.TPSY_31_24alcohol misuseimpulsive behaviormajor depressive disordersuicidal ideation
spellingShingle Vincent Xi-Yu Wang
Ding-Lieh Liao
En-Liang Wu
Chiang-Shan Ray Li
Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression
Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry
alcohol misuse
impulsive behavior
major depressive disorder
suicidal ideation
title Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression
title_full Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression
title_fullStr Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression
title_full_unstemmed Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression
title_short Impulsivity Impacts Suicidality in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder with and without Comorbid Depression
title_sort impulsivity impacts suicidality in patients with alcohol use disorder with and without comorbid depression
topic alcohol misuse
impulsive behavior
major depressive disorder
suicidal ideation
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/TPSY.TPSY_31_24
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AT enliangwu impulsivityimpactssuicidalityinpatientswithalcoholusedisorderwithandwithoutcomorbiddepression
AT chiangshanrayli impulsivityimpactssuicidalityinpatientswithalcoholusedisorderwithandwithoutcomorbiddepression