title: Exploring the interrelationship between alexithymia, defense style, emotional suppression, homicide-related posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity.
abstract: This study investigated the interrelationship between alexithymia, defense style, emotional suppression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following homicide and psychiatric co-morbidity. One hundred and fifty male homicide perpetrators and 156 male perpetrators of non-violent crime completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (except for non-violent perpetrators), the General Health Questionnaire-28, the Defense Styles Questionnaire, the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. The results showed that 44% of homicide perpetrators met the criteria for PTSD. No significant differences were found between groups in alexithymia, defense style and psychiatric co-morbidity. Homicide perpetrators suppressed depression significantly more than the non-violent group. PLS analyses showed that alexithymia was significantly correlated with defense style. Defense styles were significantly correlated with emotional suppression which, in turn, was associated with homicide-related PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. To conclude, perpetrators can experience PTSD reactions following the act of homicide. The severity of these reactions and other psychological problems were related to difficulty getting in touch with distressing emotions, the defenses they used to protect themselves psychologically and the way they suppressed their emotion.
authors.affiliation: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Educational Psychology, Ho Tim Building, Faculty of Education, Shatin NT, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: man.chung@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Man Cheung
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Law, Nanjing University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaohu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Di
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Researcher, Institute of Crime Prevention & Control, Faculty of Law, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: King Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004644:Emotions; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alexithymia; Defense style; Emotional suppression; Homicide-related PTSD