Prof. Domenico De Berardis, MD, PhD, NHS, Italy

Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, “G. Mazzini” Hospital, Asl 4 Teramo, Italy
Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Chair of Psychiatry, University of Chieti, Italy
Contract Professor of Pharmacology, School of Nursing, University of L’Aquila, Italy

The Alexithymia and its relationships with psychiatric disorders and suicide

Abstract:
It has been extensively proven that subjects with alexithymia may show affective dysregulation as well as the incapacity to self relieve and deal with emotions due to a relative lack of emotional consciousness. Therefore, these subjects may suffer from severe anxiety and depression, usually suffering from a relatively higher psychological pain, and may be at risk of developing both inexplicable somatic symptoms and symptoms of emotional distress as they are, on a psychological point of view, inadequately furnished. Besides, numerous studies showed that alexithymics might insufficiently respond both to psychopharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The typical characteristics of alexithymic behavior are mostly evident in social relationships with high emotional connotations. A persistent affect-avoiding in interpersonal behaviors are rather distressing and may produce instability and struggles in such significant relationships, subsidizing the increase of symptoms of anxiety and depression, thus increasing the possibility of suicidal ideation and behavior. The aim of this presentation is to give some update on the alexithymia construct and its relationships with psychiatric disorders and to suggest why alexithymia should be investigated in everyday clinical and research practice.