Comparative study of impulsiveness in patients with major depression, anxiety disorders, and normal individuals

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

University of Tehran

Abstract

Impulsiveness, the individual's tendency to respond quickly to a given stimulus without reflectivity and evaluation of the consequences, is considered as a determinant component of several psychiatric disorders. Dimensions of impulsiveness including lack of discipline, motor impulsiveness, and cognitive impulsiveness could influence different aspects of depression and anxiety disorders. The main aim of this study was to compare impulsiveness in patients with major depression and anxiety disorders with and normal individuals. This study demonstrates the differences of impulsivity among the three attending groups in this study. A total of 224 individuals (87 depressed, 64 anxious, 73 normal) participated in this study voluntarily. Following a psychiatric diagnosis of the psychological disorders, both the patient and normal groups were asked to complete the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale (BIS; Barratt, 1994). The results revealed that depressed patients reported significantly higher levels of motor impulsiveness and lack of descipline than did anxious patients and normal individuals. Anxious patients reported higher levels of cognitive impulsiveness than did depressed patients as well as higher levels of cognitive impulsiveness and lack of discipline than did normal individuals. Normal individuals reported lower levels of impulsiveness than did the two groups of depressed and anxious patients. Comparison of dimensions of impulsiveness in patients and normal individuals provides evidence of the possible impact of pathological impulsivity on the development and/or continuity of depression and anxiety disorders. The difference between levels and dimensions of impulsiveness of the two groups of depressed and anxious patients also could explain their differences in terms of the kind of psychological disorders.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Applied Psychological Research
Volume 8, Issue 3
November 2017
Pages 15-28

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 February 2016
  • Revise Date: 24 February 2018
  • Accept Date: 09 March 2017
  • First Publish Date: 23 October 2017
  • Publish Date: 23 October 2017

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