The Predictive Value of Impulsivity and Risk-Taking Measures for Substance Use in Substance Dependent Offenders

Abstract

Impulsivity and risk-taking are known to have an important impact on problematic substance use and criminal behavior. This study examined the predictive value of baseline self-report and behavioral impulsivity and risk-taking measures [Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and Behavioral Inhibition, Behavioral Activation Scale (BIS/BAS)] in 12-months follow-up substance use outcomes (e.g., use of alcohol, cannabis and other substances) and criminal recidivism (yes/no). Participants were 213 male offenders with a substance use disorder (SUD) under probation supervision. Bivariate regression analyses showed that BIS and BAS levels were associated (respectively) with the use of alcohol and cannabis. Multiple regression analysis showed that BIS was negatively associated with alcohol use at follow-up, whereas cannabis use at baseline and BAS predicted cannabis use at follow-up. At a trend level, interactions between delay discounting and risk-taking, and interactions between baseline cannabis use and BAS and BART predicted cannabis use at follow-up. Other substance use at follow-up was solely predicted by baseline other substance use. Overall, the findings provide marginal support for the predictive utility of impulsivity and risk-taking in accounting for variability in substance use among offenders with a SUD. This may be partly explained by the fact that only a limited number of psychological factors was assessed in this study. The studied population consists of a severe group, in which relapse into substance use or criminal behavior likely is related to complex, interacting biopsychosocial factors, of which impulsivity measures play a relatively small part.

Appropriately Tuning Stochastic-Psychometric Properties of the Balloon Analog Risk Task

“… King et al (2014) reviewed the associations between impulsivity and alcohol consumption and observed discrepancies among studies that involved the BART. Some studies showed the BART to predict impulsivity related to alcohol abuse ( Fernie et al, 2010 ; Rose et al, 2014 ) or to be unrelated with impulsivity ( Skeel et al, 2008 ; Rieser et al, 2019 ). Moreover, DeMartini et al (2014) found BART scores to correlate positively with the quantity of alcohol consumption but negatively with the frequency of alcohol consumption, while Ashenhurst et al (2011) found that higher BART scores negatively correlate with alcohol-related symptoms but are unrelated to alcohol use.…”

Appropriately Tuning Stochastic-Psychometric Properties of the Balloon Analogue Response Task (BART)

“…King and colleagues (2014) reviewed the associations between impulsivity and alcohol consumption and observed discrepancies among studies that involved the BART. Some studies showed the BART to predict impulsivity related to alcohol abuse (Fernie et al, 2010;Rose et al, 2014) or to be unrelated with impulsivity (Skeel et al, 2008;Rieser et al, 2019). Moreover, DeMartini et al (2014 found BART scores to correlate positively with the quantity of alcohol consumption but negatively with the frequency of alcohol consumption, while Ashenhurst et al (2011) found that higher BART scores negatively correlate with alcohol-related symptoms but are unrelated to alcohol use.…”

ANKK1 and TH gene variants in combination with paternal maltreatment increase susceptibility to both cognitive and attentive impulsivity

“…Abnormal impulsivity may also promote antisocial behaviors, like vandalism, theft, aggression (11)(12)(13)(14)(15), and violence (16). Therefore, impulsivity is generally assessed in criminals [see, for instance, (17)(18)(19)(20)] in order to provide them with an adequate forensic evaluation as well as suitable treatment planning and management (17). Violent offenders usually obtain higher impulsivity scores as compared to subjects convicted for non-violent crimes (21); additionally, greater impulsivity is often associated with higher rates of recidivism (22)(23)(24)(25)(26).…”