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Impulsivity and Compulsivity Dimensions in the Prediction of Substance Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Emerging Adults

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Abstract

Impulsivity and its different facets have been studied for decades as some of the main personality traits linked to psychopathology. However, in recent years, research has emphasized compulsivity as a more proximal risk factor for certain disorders, leading to different theorizations on the relation between impulsivity facets and compulsivity. Building on a model proposed by Nigg (2017), this study identified the factor structure of Compulsivity and Impulsivity facets (Immediate Reward Preference, Cue-Triggered Impulsive Response, and Planful Risk-Taking) and explored their prospective associations with depressive symptoms, alcohol, and cannabis-related problems. A total of 729 emerging adults were measured at two waves of data collection, using the Impulsive-Compulsive Behaviours Checklist, UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, Delay Discounting Task, and questionnaires designed to measure substance-related problems and depressive symptomatology. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor orthogonal structure reflecting the lower-level facets in Nigg’s model. Compulsivity predicted increased depressive symptoms, whereas CTIR predicted cannabis-related problems. Robustness analyses showed substantial but not complete consistency in findings, pointing to variations in associations depending on specific measures used to assess each construct. This study contributes to understanding the complex interplay of impulsivity and compulsivity and their relevance as vulnerability factors for different mental health conditions.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, AV, upon reasonable request.

Notes

  1. Given that cannabis-related problems were measures as the number of criteria endorsed by participants, we conducted an analysis including cannabis-related problems as a count variable with a negative binomial distribution. This yielded similar results to those reported here.

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Funding

This research was supported by Fondecyt Nº 1201679 to Alvaro Vergés and JUNAEB (National Board of School Aid and Scholarships).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile

    Alvaro Vergés

  2. Núcleo Milenio Para Mejorar La Salud Mental de Adolescentes y Jóvenes, Imhay, Santiago, Chile

    Alvaro Vergés

  3. Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Tomás Arriaza

  4. Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Marcela Soto

  5. Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    María Elena Alvarado

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  1. Alvaro Vergés
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  2. Tomás Arriaza
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  4. María Elena Alvarado
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Correspondence to Alvaro Vergés.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Vergés, A., Arriaza, T., Soto, M. et al. Impulsivity and Compulsivity Dimensions in the Prediction of Substance Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Emerging Adults. Int J Ment Health Addiction (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01277-1

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