Turning the UPPS down: Urgency predicts treatment outcome in a partial hospitalization program

Impulsivity in response to negative mood (negative urgency) and positive mood (positive urgency) is common in psychiatric disorders. The aims of this study were to test if urgency predicts treatment response during partial hospitalization in a transdiagnostic sample, and if urgency is malleable over the course of brief treatment.

Participants (N = 348, 55% female, M age = 32.9) were patients presenting to a CBT-based partial hospitalization program. Urgency and a range of symptoms were assessed with self-report measures during treatment.

Higher negative urgency scores predicted worse outcome for depression and anxiety symptoms. Negative urgency (p < .001, Cohen's d_z = 0.61) and positive urgency (p < .001, Cohen's d_z = 0.39) significantly decreased during treatment.

Findings suggest that participants report decreases in urgency during brief partial hospitalization treatment. Higher negative urgency predicted poorer treatment response for symptoms of depression and anxiety, demonstrating the need for novel treatments for urgency.