The Role of Impulsivity in Major Depression: A Systematic Review

Purpose of Review The goal of the current review was to examine recent (within the past 5 years) evidence of impulsivity, broadly defined to include both (a) self-report and (b) behavioral measures including measures of decision-making, inhibition, and inattention, as a feature of Major Depressive Disorder in terms of (a) differences between MDD groups compared to controls and (b) associations between impulsivity and self-reported depressive symptomatology. Recent Findings Of the 3304 studies screened, 21 met the inclusion criteria. Findings support higher levels of impulsivity in individuals with MDD compared to controls and an association between various facets of impulsivity and MDD. There is consistent evidence for impulsivity as a transdisease process influencing MDD. This evidence may be dependent on the facet of impulsivity being measured.