title: Out of the blue: Untangling the association between impulsivity and planning in self-harm.
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).
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study was cross-sectional, relied on a student sample which may not generalise to other populations.
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jodie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rawlings
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ulster, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shevlin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rhiannon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morriss
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. Electronic address: pjtay@liv.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Peter James
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Impulsivity; Planning; Self-harm