title: Impulsivity is relevant for trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms in a non-clinical population.
abstract: Impulsivity is a relevant construct for explaining both normal individual differences in personality and more extreme personality disorder, and is often investigated within clinical populations. This study aims to explore the college students' impulsivity patterns and to investigate the association across levels of impulsivity with trauma exposure and PTSD development in a non-clinical population. A one-phase census survey of seven college institutions assessed 2213 students in three metropolitan regions of Northeastern Brazil. All subjects anonymously completed a self-applied protocol consisting of: a socio-demographic questionnaire, Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ), PTSD Checklist (PCL-C), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). The median for frequency of trauma exposure was 4 events for people with low and normal impulsivity, and 6 for highly impulsive ones. Individuals with higher impulsivity presented earlier exposition than non-impulsive ones, and worst outcome: 12.4% with PTSD, against 8.4% and 2.3% (normal and low impulsivity). Of the three factors of impulsivity, the Attentional factor conferred the strongest association with PTSD development. Results suggest that impulsivity is also a relevant trait in a non-clinical population and is associated with trauma exposure and PTSD. Strategies to promote mental health in adolescents may be pertinent, especially with the aim of managing impulsivity.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde (PPgMS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address: lianetto@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Liana R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Netto
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde (PPgMS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde (PPgMS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde (PPgMS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Escola Multicampi de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti-Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde (PPgMS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rejane Conceição
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil; Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz/Fiocruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Teles
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Karestan C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Koenen
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Saúde (PPgMS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Quarantini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: BIS-11; Impulsiveness; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Traumatic experiences; Young adults