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Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 27 No. 4, 2015.

Short communication, Note

COULD ALEXITHYMIA PREDICT SUICIDE ATTEMPTS – A STUDY OF CROATIAN WAR VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Zorana Kušević ; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Bjanka Vuksan Ćusa ; School of Medicine, University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Goran Babić ; Private Psychiatric Practice for Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacotherapy, Zagreb, Croatia
Darko Marčinko ; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

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Abstract

Background: To investigate the possibility if alexithymia could be used as a predictor of attempted suicide among patients
suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Subjects and methods: The study was based on 127 veterans from the 1991-1995 war in Croatia. All the patients involved in this
study were previously diagnosed with PTSD. The questionnaires (socio-demographic questionnaire, Mississippi scale for combat
related PTSD questionnaire, and 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale questionnaire) were administered by investigators.
Results: The results suggest that alexithymia was significantly associated with attempted suicide (P=0.020). Furthermore,
alexithymia remained a significant predictor of an attempted suicide even in the multivariate regression model, which yielded an
odds ratio (OR) of 2.87 (95% confidence intervals 1.18-7.00).
Conclusions: These results point out that alexithymia can be considered as a potential risk factor for suicide in this population,
suggesting that it may also be used as an indicator of worsening psychological status and attempted suicide in other population
groups with higher alexithymia prevalence.

Keywords

alexithymia – suicide - post traumatic stress disorder - PTSD

Hrčak ID:

162546

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162546

Publication date:

15.12.2015.

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