A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
Background/Aims: Alexithymia is a concept characterized by the impairment of an individual’s awareness of his feelings and ability to clearly identify and describe them. This study investigated whether alexithymia levels would differ in three different groups consisting of p...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Selcuk University Press
2024-06-01
|
| Series: | Genel Tıp Dergisi |
| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/doi/10.54005/geneltip.1444016 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850031725780926464 |
|---|---|
| author | Sertaç Zengil Orhan Delice Hilal Uygur |
| author_facet | Sertaç Zengil Orhan Delice Hilal Uygur |
| author_sort | Sertaç Zengil |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background/Aims: Alexithymia is a concept characterized by the impairment of an individual’s awareness of his feelings and ability to clearly identify and describe them. This study investigated whether alexithymia levels would differ in three different groups consisting of participants exhibiting suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Methods: Seventy-five cases presenting to the psychiatry clinic and emergency department due to suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, or non-suicidal self-injury and 25 healthy controls were included in the study. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were applied to all participants. The individuals taking part were assigned into three different groups for comparisons, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, and NSSI.Results: TAS-20 scores (55.88±13.23) and HDRS scores (21.89±9.14) were higher in the case groups than in the healthy controls (38.44±11.72 and 1.96±2.51, respectively) (p<0.001). Significantly higher TAS-20 scores were determined in the group with NSSI than in the attempted suicide group. Mean scores for the TAS subscales TAS-A (difficulty identifying feelings) and TAS-B (difficulty describing feelings) were significantly higher in the NSSI group than in the attempted suicide group. Positive correlation was detected between severity of depression and alexithymia levels, TAS-20 scores, TAS-A scores, TAS-B scores, and TAS-C (externally oriented thinking) scores.Conclusion: The data from this study indicate that alexithymia levels in NSSI are higher than in individuals with attempted suicide and suicidal ideation. This finding reveals the importance of also examining individuals with NSSI in terms of alexithymia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d8d091b9b762408cbced627c5ada5ecc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2602-3741 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Selcuk University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genel Tıp Dergisi |
| spelling | doaj-art-d8d091b9b762408cbced627c5ada5ecc2025-08-20T02:58:54ZengSelcuk University PressGenel Tıp Dergisi2602-37412024-06-0134338639110.54005/geneltip.1444016 A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Sertaç Zengil0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9610-2869Orhan Delice1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1629-4245Hilal Uygur2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9438-8031SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ERZURUM TIP FAKÜLTESİSAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ERZURUM TIP FAKÜLTESİSAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, ERZURUM TIP FAKÜLTESİ Background/Aims: Alexithymia is a concept characterized by the impairment of an individual’s awareness of his feelings and ability to clearly identify and describe them. This study investigated whether alexithymia levels would differ in three different groups consisting of participants exhibiting suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Methods: Seventy-five cases presenting to the psychiatry clinic and emergency department due to suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, or non-suicidal self-injury and 25 healthy controls were included in the study. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were applied to all participants. The individuals taking part were assigned into three different groups for comparisons, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, and NSSI.Results: TAS-20 scores (55.88±13.23) and HDRS scores (21.89±9.14) were higher in the case groups than in the healthy controls (38.44±11.72 and 1.96±2.51, respectively) (p<0.001). Significantly higher TAS-20 scores were determined in the group with NSSI than in the attempted suicide group. Mean scores for the TAS subscales TAS-A (difficulty identifying feelings) and TAS-B (difficulty describing feelings) were significantly higher in the NSSI group than in the attempted suicide group. Positive correlation was detected between severity of depression and alexithymia levels, TAS-20 scores, TAS-A scores, TAS-B scores, and TAS-C (externally oriented thinking) scores.Conclusion: The data from this study indicate that alexithymia levels in NSSI are higher than in individuals with attempted suicide and suicidal ideation. This finding reveals the importance of also examining individuals with NSSI in terms of alexithymia.https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/doi/10.54005/geneltip.1444016 |
| spellingShingle | Sertaç Zengil Orhan Delice Hilal Uygur A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Genel Tıp Dergisi |
| title |
A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
|
| title_full |
A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
|
| title_fullStr |
A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
|
| title_full_unstemmed |
A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
|
| title_short |
A Comparison of Alexithymia in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation, Attempted Suicide, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
|
| title_sort | comparison of alexithymia in individuals with suicidal ideation attempted suicide and non suicidal self injury |
| url | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/doi/10.54005/geneltip.1444016 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sertaczengil acomparisonofalexithymiainindividualswithsuicidalideationattemptedsuicideandnonsuicidalselfinjury AT orhandelice acomparisonofalexithymiainindividualswithsuicidalideationattemptedsuicideandnonsuicidalselfinjury AT hilaluygur acomparisonofalexithymiainindividualswithsuicidalideationattemptedsuicideandnonsuicidalselfinjury AT sertaczengil comparisonofalexithymiainindividualswithsuicidalideationattemptedsuicideandnonsuicidalselfinjury AT orhandelice comparisonofalexithymiainindividualswithsuicidalideationattemptedsuicideandnonsuicidalselfinjury AT hilaluygur comparisonofalexithymiainindividualswithsuicidalideationattemptedsuicideandnonsuicidalselfinjury |