Impulsivity as a Critical Predictor of Suicide Risk: A Proposal for Integrating Impulsivity Assessment into Standardized Suicide Risk Assessment Tools.

Abstract:

Suicide continues to be a major public health concern worldwide, accounting for an estimated 727,000 deaths every year. The common factors in suicide risk assessment tools primarily focus on suicidal ideation, suicidal intent, previous suicide attempts, hopelessness, and psychosocial stress, while giving limited attention to impulsivity. This is a systematic review of six peer-reviewed studies retrieved from PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar and published between 2015 and 2026 that explored the association between impulsivity and suicidal behavior framed within the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation-seeking (UPPS) model. It is noted that impulsivity, especially negative urgency, is a risk factor consistently associated with suicidal ideation, attempts, and completed suicide across a variety of populations. Also, evidence suggests that impulsivity accelerates transition from suicidal thinking to action, potentially decreasing the possibility to undertake clinical interventions. Thus, improved tools are required to assess this dynamic risk factor. Implementing brief impulsivity screening as part of the standardized suicide risk assessment may have a profound effect on predictive validity and patient safety.