Domenico De Berardis1,2, Federica Vellante2, Michele Fornaro3,4, Annalisa Anastasia3, Luigi Olivieri1, Gabriella Rapini1, Nicola Serroni1, Laura Orsolini4,5, Alessandro Valchera4,6, Alessandro Carano7, Carmine Tomasetti8, Paola Annunziata Varasano9, Gabriella Lucidi Pressanti9, Massimiliano Bustini10, Maurizio Pompili11, Gianluca Serafini12, Giampaolo Perna13,14,15, Giovanni Martinotti2, Massimo Di Giannantonio2. 1. NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'G. Mazzini', Teramo, Italy. 2. Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, University 'G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy. 3. Department of Psychiatry, Federico II University, Naples, Italy. 4. Polyedra, Teramo, Italy. 5. School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK. 6. Villa S. Giuseppe Hospital, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Ascoli Piceno, Italy. 7. Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'Madonna Del Soccorso', NHS, Ascoli Piceno, Italy. 8. NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'SS. Annunziata' ASL, Giulianova, Italy. 9. Department of Immunohematology and Transfusional Medicine, 'G. Mazzini' Hospital, Teramo, Italy. 10. NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'San Camillo de Lellis' ASL, Rieti, Italy. 11. Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. 12. Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. 13. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Italy. 14. Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands. 15. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami University, Miami, FL, USA.
Abstract
Objective: The present exploratory study aimed to investigate relationships between alexithymia, suicide ideation, affective temperaments and homocysteine levels among drug-naïve adult outpatients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in an everyday 'real world' clinical setting.Method: Sixty-four adult outpatients with PTSD were evaluated using the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Scale of Suicide Ideation (SSI), the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire. As well, homocysteine levels were measured. Results: Alexithymic subjects showed higher values on all scales but not homocysteine levels. Partial correlations showed that almost all studied variables were correlated with each other, except homocysteine levels. Regression analysis showed that higher disorder severity as measured by DTS and TAS-20 'Difficulty in Identifying Feelings' dimension was associated with higher SSI scores.Conclusions: In conclusion, alexithymic PTSD outpatients may be characterised by higher disorder severity and difficulty in identifying feelings that may be linked to increased suicide ideation, regardless of affective temperaments or homocysteine levels. Homocysteine levels were not related to any studied variable. However, study limitations are discussed and must be considered. KeypointsPatients with alexithymia showed increased PTSD severity, a higher score on TEMPS-A subscales, and more severe suicide ideation.The Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) dimension of TAS-20 was associated with suicide ideation in patients with PTSD.Homocysteine did not correlate with any studied variables.This study was exploratory and cross-sectional: further larger and prospective studies are needed.
Objective: The present exploratory study aimed to investigate relationships between alexithymia, suicide ideation, affective temperaments and homocysteine levels among drug-naïve adult outpatients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in an everyday 'real world' clinical setting.Method: Sixty-four adult outpatients with PTSD were evaluated using the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Scale of Suicide Ideation (SSI), the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire. As well, homocysteine levels were measured. Results: Alexithymic subjects showed higher values on all scales but not homocysteine levels. Partial correlations showed that almost all studied variables were correlated with each other, except homocysteine levels. Regression analysis showed that higher disorder severity as measured by DTS and TAS-20 'Difficulty in Identifying Feelings' dimension was associated with higher SSI scores.Conclusions: In conclusion, alexithymic PTSD outpatients may be characterised by higher disorder severity and difficulty in identifying feelings that may be linked to increased suicide ideation, regardless of affective temperaments or homocysteine levels. Homocysteine levels were not related to any studied variable. However, study limitations are discussed and must be considered. KeypointsPatients with alexithymia showed increased PTSD severity, a higher score on TEMPS-A subscales, and more severe suicide ideation.The Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) dimension of TAS-20 was associated with suicide ideation in patients with PTSD.Homocysteine did not correlate with any studied variables.This study was exploratory and cross-sectional: further larger and prospective studies are needed.
Authors: Janos Bokor; Sandor Krause; Dora Torok; Nora Eszlari; Sara Sutori; Zsofia Gal; Peter Petschner; Ian M Anderson; Bill Deakin; Gyorgy Bagdy; Gabriella Juhasz; Xenia Gonda Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2020-06-25 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Vadim Tseilikman; Maxim Lapshin; Igor Klebanov; George Chrousos; Maria Vasilieva; Anton Pashkov; Julia Fedotova; David Tseilikman; Vladislav Shatilov; Eugenia Manukhina; Olga Tseilikman; Alexey Sarapultsev; H Fred Downey Journal: Int J Mol Sci Date: 2022-04-28 Impact factor: 6.208