Childhood Trauma and Impulsivity. Possible Relevance to Suicidal Behavior

Social factors are thought to contribute to impulsivity. As childhood traumas predispose to suicidal behavior it was decided to examine whether they may be a determinant of impulsivity, a personality dimension often associated with suicidal behavior. Thus 268 abstinent drug dependent patients completed both the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS). The results showed that there were significant relationships, albeit small, between CTQ scores and BIS impulsivity scores. These results suggest that childhood trauma may be one determinant of impulsivity as an adult.