ALEXITHYMIA, SUICIDAL IDEATION AND BEHAVIOUR IN MOROCCAN PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USERS

Alexithymia is an emotion regulation problem that may be related to suicidality, especially in patients with SUD. The study aimed at estimating the prevalence of alexithymia in Moroccan psychoactive substances users, and to establish the links between alexithymia and suicidal ideation and behaviors, anxiety and depression in drug-dependent patients. We also aimed to elucidate if alexithymia predicts suicidal thoughts and behaviors in these consumers. The study included 451 consecutively admitted patients with substance use. Consumers were examined with the Toronto alexi - thymia scale (TAS-20), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI- Y), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Among substance-dependent individuals, 72.7% was identified as a group with alexithymia. Current age and age at first substance use were lower in the alexithymic group (p