Impulsivity in clinical and non-clinical population

Objective: To explore differences in psychiatric patients and healthy controls on impulsivity through an indigenously developed scale of state trait impulsivity. Methodology: This cross sectional study employed a matched group design. Purposive sampling was used to collect data. The data were collected from the psychiatric wards of Government teaching and non-teaching hospitals of Lahore and community. The sample consisted of two groups i.e. clinical and non-clinical group (N=200). Both groups were matched on gender, age, years of education and monthly income. Clinical group consisted of diagnosed patients of Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Substance Related Disorders (25 for each group). The diagnoses for the clinical group were validated through blind review of 30% of the sample. The non-clinical group was screened to rule out any psychiatric illness. Instruments used were demographic questionnaire and indigenous scale for state trait impulsivity developed for Pakistani population. Results: The clinical and non-clinical groups were significantly different in terms of their scores on state trait impulsivity. The clinical group scored significantly higher on composite (State Impulsivity: t=15.83 df (127.47) p=.001; Trait Impulsivity: t=12.85 df (152.02) p=.001) as well as subscales of state trait impulsivity except functional impulsivity. Conclusion: Significant differences were observed in clinical and non-clinical groups on state trait impulsivity, suggesting high rates of state trait impulsivity in clinical population in comparison to healthy controls.