Impulsiveness in Substance Users: Metacognitive Beliefs and Repetitive Negative Thinking as Potential Maintenance Factors

Introduction: Using the self-regulatory executive function model as a basis, this study explored whether, among substance users, metacognitive beliefs and repetitive negative thinking were associated with impulsiveness. Methods: A total of 100 substance users were recruited. Impulsiveness, metacognitive beliefs, rumination and worry were assessed. Correlation and hierarchal regression analyses were run. Results: Beliefs about the need to control thoughts, lower cognitive self-consciousness and brooding rumination were found to be independent predictors of the total score on impulsiveness in the hierarchical regression analysis. Further regression analyses indicated that motor impulsiveness was predicted by a combination of beliefs about the need to control thoughts and brooding rumination, while non-planning impulsiveness was predicted by beliefs about the need to control thoughts and lower cognitive self-consciousness. Conclusion: Among substance users, higher impulsiveness is associated with the tendency to endorse beliefs about the need to control thoughts and brooding rumination. Among substance users, beliefs about the need to control thoughts and brooding rumination (and potentially cognitive self-consciousness) could be a suitable therapeutic targets to mitigate particularly motor impulsiveness and non-planning impulsiveness.