Alexithymia, affect intensity and emotional range in suicidal patients.
BACKGROUND
Although negative affect in general has been widely associated with suicide, the role of specific emotions and affect features in depression and suicidality is unclear. This study examined the potential of three major components of the affect structure as predictors of suicidal behavior.


METHODS
Twenty suicidal depressed (SD) inpatients were compared with 20 nonsuicidal depressed (NSD) inpatients and 20 healthy controls for alexithymia, emotional range (ER; i.e. variety of emotions experienced by the subjects) and affect intensity (AI; i.e. the intensity of their emotional responsiveness).


RESULTS
Both the SD and the NSD patients had a narrower range of emotions, a stronger AI and a higher degree of alexithymia than did the healthy controls. No differences were found between the scores of the two inpatients groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The three affect components examined (alexithymia, AI and ER) did not prove to represent sensitive predictors of suicidal behavior. Hopelessness and depression severity were found to be more reliable in the prediction of suicidal risk. We discuss the implications of this study, particularly the possibility of early detection and intervention in patients at risk.
Iancu
I
I
Psychiatric Service, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Horesh
N
N
Offer
D
D
Dannon
P N
PN
Lepkifker
E
E
Kotler
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology