Diferencias y relación entre impulsividad, regulación emocional y salud mental en hombres y mujeres en una muestra de Ecuador.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the differences and relationships between mental health, emotional regulation, and impulsivity in adult men and women in Ecuador. A total of 1,628 adults from various provinces participated, selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) were used.Results showed that the three variables are positively and significantly correlated, indicating that greater deterioration in mental health is associated with more difficulties in emotional regulation and higher levels of impulsivity. In the gender analysis, only mental health showed significant differences, with women reporting higher psychological distress. No significant differences were found in emotional regulation or impulsivity.It is concluded that mental health, emotional regulation, and impulsivity form an interdependent system that jointly influences psychological well-being, and interventions should aim to strengthen emotional regulation skills with a gender-sensitive approach.