The relationship between childhood traumas and alexitimia, impulsiveness and suicide possibility of patients diagnosed with depression

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between childhood traumas and alexithymia, impulsivity and suicide probability of patients diagnosed with depression. This descriptive research was conducted between 01 November 2021 and 02 May 2022 on 149 depressed patients who were admitted to the Psychiatry Service of T.R Ministry of Health ,Healthcare Sciences University Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital for outpatient treatment. Research data were collected via the 'Personal Information Form', 'Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), 'Childhood Traumas Scale (CTS)', 'Perth Alexithymia Scale (PAS)', 'Suicide Probability Scale(SPS)' and ' Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11' (BIS)' and face-to-face interview methods. The analysis of the data was done via the Statistical Programm SPSS 22.0 in computer environment.It has been stated that 69.8% of the patients diagnosed with depression who participated in the study were female, 30.2% were male, their age average was 41.49 ± 13.16 (between 18-69 years), 32.21% were high school graduates, 57.05% were married, 47.65% were housewives and that 38.26% of them were suicide attempts. It was detected that Beck Depression Inventory total score average of the patients was 31.3 ± 9.25, Childhood Trauma Scale average total score was 72.11 ± 24.33, Suicide Probability Scale average total score was 82.03 ± 10.71, Perth Alexithymia Scalea average total score was 97.08 ± 36.96 and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale average total score was 66.66 ± 9.81. A positive and statistically significant relationship was determined between CTS , PAS, SPS, and BIS (p<0.05). A statistically significant correlation was found between PAS and CTS, and between SPS and BIS (p<0.05). It was found that there was no statistically significant relationship between CTS, SPS and BIS (p>0.05). It was found that the depression symptoms, childhood traumas, and suicide probability of the patients were high, their impulsiveness was moderate, and they were prone to alexithymia. It is recommended that patients with depression who have experienced childhood trauma be evaluated by psychiatric nurses in terms of alexithymia, suicide probability and impulsiveness and they should be taught the methods how to cope with psychoeducation and psychotherapy programs.