Anger, alexithymia, impulsivity in patients affected by schizophrenia and offenders: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7347/RIC-042021-p266Abstract
Background: Anger, alexithymia, impulsivity are clinical variables underlying aggression/crimes, therefore their evaluation with specific instruments in psychiatric patients samples could give the clinician deeper knowledge and useful information aimed to the rehabilitative work and the prevention of recidivism. Materials and Methods: 53 people with Schizofrenia, sectioned at the Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Forensic Hospital – before its dismissing -, have completed STAXI-2, TAS-20, BIS-11 questionnaires.
Exclusion criteria: Intellectual Disability. Pearson linear correlations have been performed to test associations between the three variables of anger, alexithymia, impulsivity and between a single variable and crimes. Logistic regressions have been used to further investigate links between clinical variables and crimes. Results: Correlations between variables: a) 17 alexithymic patients (TAS>60), mean score BIS-11: 58. Positive Pearson correlation between alexithymia and impulsivity; b) STAXI-2 RS/S, R/T, RT/T, RT/R, ER/IN are positively related to alexithymia; CR/IN e CR/OUT in a negative way; c) Impulsivity is related to STAXI-2 RT/T, ER/IN in a significant way. Correlations between variables and crimes: d) As TAS-20 scores increase, there is lower probability to commit a crime inside the family; e) As BIS-11 scores increase, there is lower probability to commit homicide; f) STAXI-2 RS/S is positively related to robbery. Discussion and conclusions: Our results about alexithymia and impulsivity, alexithymia and anger, and impulsivity and anger correlations go along with the literature about aggression/violence antecedents. Alexithymic subjects would commit crimes outside the family and murderers – in our sample – would have committed “low level of impulsivity” homicides, as far as the premeditation factor is concerned. Robbery is related to RS/S (feeling anger), to indicate how anger is manifested in such crimes.
