An examination of hypomanic personality traits, impulsivity and risk in a non-clinical sample: ‘A blessing and a curse’

This investigation explores the effects of impulsivity, risk-taking and perceived-risk attitude on hypomanic personality traits (HPTs), using an international non-clinical snowball sample (N = 202). HPTs can be categorised as mental health problems within bipolar disorders (BP) or as normal personality traits. Both exhibit marked changes in mood and reveal symptomatic similarities between impulse control disorders and BP. Consequently, engagement in impulsive acts and pleasure-seeking risky activities is characteristic. An online battery of well-established self-report measures were administered; Hypomanic Personality Scale, Barratt Impulsivity Scale and Domain-Specific-Risk-Taking-Scale (Risk-taking and Risk-Perception). Pearson’s r correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Findings illustrated that mean scores on all measures were higher than the non-clinical average. There was a significant positive correlation between HPS and BIS-total, Attentional-Impulsivity, Motor-Impulsivity, and RT-total. This produced a significant positive model in multiple regression analysis. Given the findings, a t-test was conducted which demonstrated significantly higher mean scores for HPS-high scorers over the remaining sample on BIS, RT and significantly lower RP. It can be concluded that HPS score is significantly affected by BIS and RT. Whereas RP negatively predicted HPS-scores at an insignificant level (F = .955 (1, 200) p > .05). Significant demographic differences also occurred