@article{ref1,
title="Out of the blue: untangling the association between impulsivity and planning in self-harm",
journal="Journal of affective disorders",
year="2015",
author="Rawlings, Jodie and Shevlin, Mark and Corcoran, Rhiannon and Morriss, Richard and Taylor, Peter James",
volume="184",
number="",
pages="29-35",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Planned and unplanned acts of self-harm may have distinct clinical and psychological correlates. Trait impulsivity is one factor that might be expected to determine whether self-harm is planned. Research so far has focussed on suicide attempts and little is known about how individuals engaging in planned and unplanned acts of self-harm differ. The aim of the current study was to examine how individuals who report planned self-harm, unplanned self-harm, and no self-harm differ in terms of impulsivity and affective symptoms (depression, anxiety, and activated mood). <br><br>METHOD: An online survey of University students (n=1350) was undertaken including measures of impulsivity, affective symptoms and self-harm. Analyses made use of a multinomial logistic regression model with affective and cognitive forms of impulsivity estimated as latent variables. <br><br>RESULTS: Trait affective impulsivity, but not cognitive, was a general risk factor for whether self-harm occurred. There was no evidence of differences between planned and unplanned self-harm. Affective symptoms of depression and anxiety mediated the relationship between affective impulsivity and self-harm. LIMITATIONS: The study was cross-sectional, relied on a student sample which may not generalise to other populations. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Trait affective impulsivity is associated with self-harm but it appears to be mediated by depression and anxiety symptoms. The exact relationships between trait affective impulsivity, depression, anxiety and self-harm require further longitudinal research in clinical populations but might lead to improved risk assessment and new therapeutic approaches to self-harm.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-0327",
doi="10.1016/j.jad.2015.05.042",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.05.042"
}