Investigating daily associations between negative affect and impulsive urges among individuals with and without a lifetime history of self-directed and other-directed violence
Date
2025
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Objectives: Impulsive urges and negative affect are transdiagnostic factors theorized to underlie risk for engagement in self- (SDV) and other-directed violence (ODV). Yet, the dynamic interplay between these factors at the within-person daily level remains poorly understood. Therefore, the present study aims to test within-person bidirectional associations between daily impulsive urges and negative affective states both within and between-days (Aim 1), and further evaluate the extent to which these daily associations are moderated by a history of engagement in SDV and ODV (Aim 2). ☐ Methods: A community sample of 84 adults (ages 18-55; 52.39% female) with and without histories of SDV and ODV participated in a 7-day daily diary survey during which they reported on their momentary impulsive urges and negative affective states in the morning and evenings. Hierarchical linear models were estimated to examine 1) within-person bidirectional associations between impulsive urges and negative affective states and 2) the moderating effect of SDV or ODV lifetime histories on these bidirectional associations. These relationships were examined across two-timescales: 1) within and 2) between days. ☐ Results: Impulsive urges and negative affective states were bidirectionally associated at the within-person level both within- and between- days (with the exception of negative affect on impulsive urges between-days). Further, we found SDV history moderated the within-person association between self-reported urges to act impulsively and next-day negative affectivity (β = 0.28, SE = 0.08, p = <0.001). An individual’s increase in impulsive urges, relative to their average levels, was associated with an increase in their negative affect the next day only for individuals with a history of SDV. In addition, ODV history moderated the within-person association between negative affective states and subsequent impulsive urges within-days (β = 0.26, SE = 0.11, p = 0.01). Specifically, an individual’s increase in negative affective states, relative to their average levels, was associated with increases in their impulsive urges within-days only for individuals with a history of ODV. ☐ Conclusion: Ultimately, findings from the present work reveal that, compared to those without a history of past violence perpetration, individuals with a history of SDV and ODV may experience amplified within-person associations between impulsive urges and negative affective states within- and between-days. These findings provide insight into the daily risk processes that may maintain vulnerability towards engagement in future violence in at-risk groups. A more thorough understanding of daily patterns of risk has the potential to inform violence prevention efforts targeting proximal risk factors, particularly among high-risk individuals. ☐ Keywords: Impulsivity, Negative Mood, Suicide, Aggression, Daily-Diary
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Keywords
Aggression, Impulsivity, Negative mood, Suicide