title: Impulsivity, substance abuse, and family/friends history of suicide attempts in university students with and without suicidal ideation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Impulsivity appears to play an important role in suicidal behavior. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the impulsivity, substance abuse, and family/friends history of suicide attempt between suicide-ideated and non suicide-ideated university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research population consisted of all the students of the University of Isfahan in the academic year of 2009-2010. Three hundred and forty students (136 boys and 204 girls) were selected randomly through cluster sampling, of whom 53 participants were suicide-ideated and the rest were non suicide-ideated. The instruments used in this study were the 11(th) version of Barratt Impulsivity Scale, Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, and the demographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance were used to examine hypothesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference between suicide ideated and non-suicide ideated subjects in impulsivity (F=3.83, p< 0.001). Accordingly, significant differences were observed between two groups in attentional (F=8.12, p< 0.005), motor (F=7.67, p< 0.006), and non-planning (F=4.60, p< 0.033) impulsiveness. The results showed a higher incidence of substance abuse, and family/friends suicide attempt among suicide-ideated compared with non suicide-ideated students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher level of impulsivity is probably related to various indices of suicidal behavior. Substance abuse is probably associated with suicidal behavior and this association may involve an interaction with impulsivity. This study provides an initial evidence of familial linkages of suicide ideation and suggests that the loss of an important person in life would be an important predictor of suicide ideation in university students.
authors.affiliation: Department of counseling, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.affiliation: Department of counseling, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Department of counseling, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abedi
authors.affiliation: Department of counseling, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fatehizade
authors.affiliation: Department of counseling, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Iran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baghban
keywords: Family; Impulsivity; Substance abuse; Suicide ideation