The Effect of Childhood Trauma on Impulsivity in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Objective: In this present study, we aimed to examine the association between impulsivity and childhood traumas in patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: Sixty-four bipolar disorder patients in remission and seventy volunteers were enrolled in this case-control study. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28), and Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) were administered to all participants. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U, Student T-test, and the chi-square test using the SPSS program. Results: A significant difference was not found between the groups regarding age, gender, and marital status. There was statistically significant positive correlations between total BIS score and scores of CTQ total (r=0.345, p<0.001), physical neglect (r=0.223, p=0.012), emotional abuse (r=0.370, p<0.001), and emotional neglect (r=0.227, p=0.010). There was a statistically significant difference in total BIS-11 (p=0.001), motor impulsiveness (p=0.028), CTQ emotional neglect (p=0.009), and total CTQ (p=0.038) scores in the bipolar disorder group compared to the control group. Conclusions: It can be said that impulsivity is associated with childhood traumas in bipolar disorder. Also, bipolar disorder patients have impulsive features, even in remission periods.