Alexithymia, Suicidal Ideation and Behaviour in Moroccan Psychoactive Substance Users

Abstract

Alexithymia is an emotion regulation problem that may be related to suicidality, especially in patients with SUD.The study aimed at estimating the prevalence of alexithymia in Moroccan psychoactive substances users, and to establish the links between alexithymia and suicidal ideation and behaviors, anxiety and depression in drug-dependent patients.We also aimed to elucidate if alexithymia predicts suicidal thoughts and behaviors in these consumers. The study included 451 consecutively admitted patients with substance use. Consumers were examined with the Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)Among substance-dependent individuals, 72.7% was identified as a group with alexithymia. Current age and age at first substance use were lower in the alexithymic group (p<0.01).The mean STAI-Y state and C-SSRS scores were higher in the group with alexithymia (p<0.01). There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of mean scores for anxiety traits (p<0.05) and no significant difference in terms of mean scores for depression. All of the scores correlated significantly with.Addicted patients with alexithymia could be targeted at preventing the onset of suicidal thoughts and behaviorThe present study also evokes that whenever an emotional regulation disorder is observed, the possibility of anxio-depressive symptomatology and suicidality (ideation and behavior) needs to be assessed.