Table 3 The UPPS-P model specific interventions and current empirical supports for treatment-related changes in impulsivity

Negative urgency

Emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness

Axelrod, Perepletchikova, Holtzman, & Sinha [84]^a

Female outpatients with BPD & substance dependence

DBT

↓

Weiss et al. [124]

Female college students

Emotion modulation

↓

Zapolski & Smith [125]

Middle school youth experiencing behavioral or academic problems

DBT skills group

↓

Adjust emotional reactions by considering the context, experience the emotion without acting, adjust reactions through relaxation, prayer, and other soothing activities, learn to effectively communicate feelings to others

Amaro et al. [126]^a

Female Hispanic inpatients with drug addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders

Spiritual Self-Schema (Mindfulness & harm reduction)

–

Margolin et al. [127]^a

Drug users with HIV enrolled in a methadone maintenance program

Spiritual Self-Schema (Mindfulness & harm reduction)

↓

Littlefield et al. [128]

Inpatients from a residential substance use disorder treatment facility

12-step group, CBT, DBT, MI

↓

Reis, Castro, Faria, & Laranjeira [129]^a

Male outpatients with cocaine dependence

Assertive strategic counseling & topiramate

–

Blonigen, Timko, Moos, & Moos [130]^a

Treatment-naïve individuals with alcohol use disorders

AA

↓

SSRIs

Rinne, van den Brink, Wouters, & van Dyck [131]^a

Females with BPD

Fluvoxamine

–

Identify precipitating events or triggers to emotional reactivity and learn adaptive alternatives similar to those provided in distress tolerance modules

Santos-Ruiz, Robles-Ortega, Pérez-García, & Peralta-Ramírez [139]

Individuals with perceived high stress levels

CBT for stress management

↓

Learn to evaluate behavioral choices in terms of one’s long-term goals

X

Positive urgency

Teach adaptive techniques for savoring success and positive mood

X

Identify alternative, safer means of celebrating

X

Learn to use cues indicating risk for maladaptive behavior

X

Provide client with reminders or cues of the alternative behaviors identified

X

Sensation seeking

Highly stimulating media messages suggesting alternative, safe ways to pursue stimulation

X

Development of a bank of safe, stimulating activities as behavioral options

X

Lack of Premeditation

Cognitive mediation training (anticipating both positive and negative consequences of possible actions)

Weiss et al. [124]

Female college students

Impulsivity reduction

↓

Specifying all steps necessary to complete a task and the time necessary for each step

Kendall & Finch [132]^a

Children identified as impulsive

Verbal self-instructions & response-cost contingency

↓

Kendall & Wilcox [133]^a

Children with classroom interference behaviors

Verbal self-instructions, response-cost contingency & psychoeducation

–

Learn to anticipate the consequences of one’s presence in situations and settings

Amaro et al. [126]^a

Female Hispanic inpatients with drug addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders

Spiritual Self-Schema (Mindfulness & harm reduction)

–

Margolin et al. [127]^a

Drug users with HIV enrolled in a methadone maintenance program

Spiritual Self-Schema (Mindfulness & harm reduction)

↓

Aklin, Tull, Kahler, & Lejuez [134]^a

Inpatients admitted to residential substance use treatment facility

AA/NA, relapse prevention & functional analysis

–

Gonçalves et al. [135]^a

Inpatients enrolled in cocaine dependence treatment

Motivational Chess

–

Lack of perseverance

Stimulant medications plus cognitive-behavioral therapy

X

Behavioral paradigms to reinforce task completion

X

Learn to gauge attention span and distractibility delay, modify environment, learn techniques to reduce procrastination and increase follow-through

X