Relationship of alexithymia and dissociation with severity of borderline personality features in male substance-dependent inpatients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate possible interactions between severity of borderline personality features (BPFs), dissociative experiences, and alexithymia among substance-dependent men while controlling for their current age, depression, and anxiety. Participants were 200 substance-dependent men consecutively admitted to a dependency treatment unit. The Borderline Personality Inventory, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to all participants. Severity of negative affect, alexithymia, dissociative experiences, and BPF were correlated with each other. Being younger, severity of dissociative experiences, difficulty in identifying feelings, depression, and trait anxiety predicted the severity of BPF in linear regression analysis. These findings suggest that alexithymia and dissociative experiences may be a way of coping with depression and chronic anxiety, but they also seem to be related to the severity of BPF independent of the negative affect and from each other.

Evren C ，Cınar O ，Evren B 《-》

Dissociation and alexithymia among men with alcoholism.

Evren C ，Sar V ，Evren B ，Semiz U ，Dalbudak E ，Cakmak D ... -  《-》

The mediator roles of trait anxiety, hostility, and impulsivity in the association between childhood trauma and dissociation in male substance-dependent inpatients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediator roles of negative affect, aggression, and impulsivity in the association between childhood trauma and dissociation in male substance-dependent inpatients. In addition, the effect of some variables that may be related with childhood trauma and dissociation among treatment-seeking substance dependents, such as substance of choice (alcohol/drug), mean of current age, and age at regular substance use was controlled. Participants were consecutively admitted 200 male substance-dependent inpatients. Patients were investigated with the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Seventy-seven patients (38.5%) with pathologic dissociation were compared with 123 nondissociative patients (61.5%) classified by dissociative taxon membership. The dissociative group had lower age, age at regular substance use, duration of education, and higher rate of drug dependency rather than alcohol dependency. Beside higher scores on anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, aggression, and impulsivity, a larger proportion of dissociative group reported suicide attempts and self-mutilation than did the nondissociative group. Results of regression analyses suggest that severity of chronic anxiety, aggression (particularly hostility), and impulsivity were found to be mediators of association between childhood trauma and dissociation. Results suggest that, to reduce the risk of dissociation and related behavior such as suicide attempt and self-mutilation among substance dependents, chronic anxiety together with the feelings of hostility and impulsivity must be the targets of evaluation and treatment among those with history of childhood trauma.

Evren C ，Cınar O ，Evren B ，Ulku M ，Karabulut V ，Umut G ... -  《-》

History of suicide attempt in male substance-dependent inpatients and relationship to borderline personality features, anger, hostility and aggression.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between severity of borderline personality features and history of suicide attempt (HSA) in male substance-dependent inpatients and the effect of anger, hostility and aggression on this relationship. Further, the effect of some variables that may be related to suicide and/or borderline personality, such as age at inception of regular substance use, substance of dependence (alcohol/drug), depression, and both state and trait anxiety, were controlled. Participants were 200 consecutively admitted male substance-dependent inpatients. Patients were investigated with the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI), the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Among substance-dependent inpatients, 33.0% (n=66) were identified as the group with HSA. Mean scores employment status, marital status and duration of education did not differ between groups, whereas current age and age at onset of regular substance use were lower in group with HSA. Mean scores of BPI, AQ and its subscales (anger, hostility and physical/verbal aggression), BDI and STAI were higher in the HSA group. In addition, the rates of drug dependency and borderline personality disorder were higher in this group. The severity of borderline personality symptoms was highly correlated with subscales of the AQ, depression and anxiety, whereas it was negatively correlated with age at onset of regular substance use. The severity of anger and borderline personality features predicted HSA in the logistic regression model. Results suggest that, to reduce the risk of suicide attempt among substance-dependent patients, the feeling of anger must be the target of evaluation and treatment among those with borderline personality features.

Evren C ，Cinar O ，Evren B ，Celik S ... -  《-》

Relationship of self-mutilative behaviours with severity of borderline personality, childhood trauma and impulsivity in male substance-dependent inpatients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of self-mutilation (SM) with the severity of borderline personality features (BPF), childhood trauma and impulsivity in male substance-dependent inpatients. Participants were consecutively admitted comprising 200 male substance-dependent inpatients. Patients were investigated with the Self-mutilative Behaviour Questionnaire (SMBQ), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI). Among 200 subjects, 62.0% (n=124) were considered as the group with SM. Mean scores of CTQ-28 total and subscales (other than emotional abuse), BIS-11 total and attentional impulsiveness subscale and BPI were higher in the SM group. In the regression model, emotional neglect, attentional impulsiveness and drug dependency were the predictors of SM, whereas in the new model in which the severity of BPF was included emotional neglect and the severity of BPF predicted SM. Among those with SMB, physical neglect and the severity of BPF predicted the number of SM episodes. Thus, to better understand SMB among substance-dependent patients, clinicians must carefully evaluate BPF and history of childhood trauma among substance-dependent inpatients. In addition, results suggest that the relationship between SMB and BPF is more prominent in drug-dependent inpatients than alcohol-dependent inpatients.

Evren C ，Cinar O ，Evren B ，Celik S ... -  《-》