Alcohol Use as a Moderator of the Association between Impulsivity and Suicidal Ideation Among College Students

Suicidal ideation (SI) is common among college students. Trait impulsivity (i.e., negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, positive urgency) and alcohol use/problems may serve as developmentally and contextually relevant risk factors of SI among college students. This study examined alcohol use/problems as a moderator of the associations between five impulsivity traits and SI, hypothesizing that alcohol use/problems would interact with negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking to increase the likelihood of SI. A sample of 931 undergraduate students completed an online survey, and a moderation analysis was conducted in Mplus. Alcohol use/problems significantly interacted with sensation seeking to increase one’s likelihood of SI (β=0.16, p<.05). There was a main effect of negative urgency on SI such that negative urgency increased the likelihood regardless of alcohol use/problems (β=0.28, p<.001). There was a main effect of positive urgency on SI such that positive urgency decreased the likelihood regardless of alcohol use/problems (β=-0.15, p<.01). These findings should be considered in light of limitations (e.g., homogenous sample, cross-sectional design). Despite limitations, these findings carry important implications for future directions for research and clinical interventions related to suicide, alcohol use/problems, and impulsivity among college students.