Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between impulsivity and childhood traumas in bipolar disorder.
Materials and 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 applied. The data were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U, Student T-test, and the chi-square test in SPSS program.
Results: A significant difference was not found between the groups regarding age, gender, and marital status. 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.
Conclusion: 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.

Key words: bipolar disorder; child abuse; child neglect; impulsive behavior