Impulsivity and mental health in college students: multiple mediating of negative automatic thoughts and coping styles

Objective To investigate the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts and coping styles between impulsivity and mental health.Methods A total of 931 college students completed impulse system subscale of Dual-Mode of Self-control Scale (DMSC-S),Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ),Negative Coping Subscale of Trait coping style Questionnaire (TCSQ) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).Results Correlation analysis showed that impulsivity was significantly positively correlated with automatic thoughts and negative coping(r=0.361,0.259,P<0.01),and automatic thoughts was significantly positively correlated with negative coping(r =0.441,P<0.01);Mental health was negatively correlated with impulsivity,automatic thoughts and negative coping (r=-0.309,-0.588,-0.353,P<0.01);Structural-equation modeling showed that,impulsivity affected mental health through three paths:The negative automatic thoughts can independently mediate impulsivity and mental health (β=-0.18),negative coping styles can independently mediate impulsivity and mental health(β =-0.06),and negative automatic thoughts-coping styles plays a chain mediation effects between impulsivity and mental health (β=-0.02).Conclusion Changing negative automatic thoughts and developing positive coping style may contribute to eliminate the impulse harm on the mental health of college students.