Poor impulse control, defined as “a predisposition toward rapid, unplanned reactions to internal or external stimuli without regard to the negative consequences of these reactions to the impulsive individual or to others” (Moeller et al. 2001; p. 1784) has been described as a core behavioral feature of substance use disorders (Moeller et al. 2001), and is often cited as a common behavioral characteristic among suicidal individuals (e.g. Dougherty et al. 2004b, 2004c; Horesh, 2001; Mann, 1999). Recently, attention has been focused on the interactive effects of substance abuse and poor impulse control in determining suicidal behaviors (Dalton et al. 2005; Dougherty et al. 2004b; Putnins, 1995). Evidence suggests that the combination of poor impulse control, stressful life events, suicidal behavior and substance use may interact to amplify the likelihood of negative consequences that occur with these behaviors (Bridge et al. 2006; Dalton et al. 2005; Putnins, 1995). In this section, we first describe key risk factors for adolescent suicidal behavior and substance use and introduce the concept that developmental-transactional features of adolescence includes interaction with the following risk factors, to increase the risk of suicidal behavior and substance use.
