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De Berardis D, Vellante F, Fornaro M, Anastasia A, Olivieri L, Rapini G, Serroni N, Orsolini L, Valchera A, Carano A, Tomasetti C, Varasano PA, Pressanti GL, Bustini M, Pompili M, Serafini G, Perna G, Martinotti G, Di Giannantonio M. Alexithymia, suicide ideation, affective temperaments and homocysteine levels in drug naïve patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: an exploratory study in the everyday 'real world' clinical practice. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2020; 24:83-87. [PMID: 31829763 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2019.1699575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico De Berardis
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'G. Mazzini', Teramo, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, University 'G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Federica Vellante
- Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, University 'G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Michele Fornaro
- Department of Psychiatry, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.,Polyedra, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Olivieri
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'G. Mazzini', Teramo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Rapini
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'G. Mazzini', Teramo, Italy
| | - Nicola Serroni
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'G. Mazzini', Teramo, Italy
| | - Laura Orsolini
- Polyedra, Teramo, Italy.,School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Alessandro Valchera
- Polyedra, Teramo, Italy.,Villa S. Giuseppe Hospital, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Ascoli Piceno, Italy
| | - Alessandro Carano
- Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'Madonna Del Soccorso', NHS, Ascoli Piceno, Italy
| | - Carmine Tomasetti
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'SS. Annunziata' ASL, Giulianova, Italy
| | | | | | - Massimiliano Bustini
- NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital 'San Camillo de Lellis' ASL, Rieti, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Perna
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hermanas Hospitalarias, Villa San Benedetto Menni Hospital, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, University 'G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
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Mendonça N, Granic A, Mathers JC, Martin-Ruiz C, Wesnes KA, Seal CJ, Jagger C, Hill TR. Homocysteine, Tryptophan, and Cognition in the Very Old. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2017; 18:895-896. [PMID: 28843524 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Mendonça
- School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Newcastle University Institute for Aging, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Human Nutrition Research Center, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Antoneta Granic
- Newcastle University Institute for Aging, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Center, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - John C Mathers
- Newcastle University Institute for Aging, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Human Nutrition Research Center, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Martin-Ruiz
- Newcastle University Institute for Aging, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Keith A Wesnes
- Wesnes Cognition Ltd, Streatley-on-Thames, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Chris J Seal
- School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Human Nutrition Research Center, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Carol Jagger
- Newcastle University Institute for Aging, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Tom R Hill
- School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Newcastle University Institute for Aging, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Human Nutrition Research Center, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
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