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Impulsivity and compulsivity aggregate in alcohol use disorder and explain comorbidity with impulse-control and related disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

A. Araujo ,
A.T. Pereira ,
C. Reis ,
L. Nascimento ,
C. Pina ,
J. Avó ,
A. Feijão  and
A. Macedo
A. Araujo
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal Psychiatry Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
A.T. Pereira*
Affiliation:
Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
C. Reis
Affiliation:
Faculty Of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
L. Nascimento
Affiliation:
Dicad, ARS, Centro, Coimbra, Portugal
C. Pina
Affiliation:
Dicad, ARS, Centro, Coimbra, Portugal
J. Avó
Affiliation:
Dicad, ARS, Centro, Coimbra, Portugal
A. Feijão
Affiliation:
Dicad, ARS, Centro, Coimbra, Portugal
A. Macedo
Affiliation:
Institute Of Psychological Medicine, Faculty Of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The conceptualization of impulsivity and compulsiveness has fluctuated between two different perspectives: they are (1) distinct and orthogonal dimensions, (2) extreme poles of the same dimension/ spectrum. We favor this latter, accepting that these dimensions contribute to the etiopathogenesis of impulsive-compulsive disorders, namely alcohol use disorder/AUD.

Objectives

To analyze: Differences of impulsivity and compulsivity levels between AUD patients vs. participants from the community; prevalence of impulsive-compulsive disorders/ICD in AUD; if impulsivity/compulsivity predict the severity of alcohol use and ICD in AUD.

Methods

32 AUD patients (21% women, mean age 46±10) answered the Portuguese versions of: Alcohol-Use-Disorders-Identification-Test, Questionnaire-for-Impulsive-Compulsive-Disorders-in-Parkinson’s-Disease, Barrat-Impulsiveness-Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive-Inventory and Depression-Anxiety-Stress-Scales; 50 adults from the community (68% women, mean age 29±14) answered the former three. Mann-Whitney-U, Spearman and regression tests were performed using SPSS.

Results

AUD individuals vs. subjects from the community presented higher levels of impulsivity and compulsivity (p<.001). AUD-group: AUDIT median score was 25 (>8 harmful use); 81% reported ICD-symptoms; impulsivity and compulsivity highly correlated (r=.639; p<.001); impulsivity levels explained the presence of certain ICD (gambling, compulsive buying, eating disorders) and depression/anxiety/stress (OR=.152; p<.05); compulsivity levels also explained the occurrence of specific ICD (compulsive buying and other repetitive automatic behaviours) and depression/anxiety/stress (OR=.131 p<.05).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that impulsivity and compulsivity co-occur and contribute to the explanation of AUD, and related comorbidity and psychological distress. This highlights the utility of considering impulsivity and compulsivity when subtyping, stratifying, and treating AUD patients. Finally, we assert that disorders of impulsivity and compulsivity (eg.: AUD and ICD) co-occur.

Conflict of interest

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 64 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 29th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2021 , pp. S569
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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