Investigating alexithymia as a predictor of suicidality and aggression in prisoners

述情障碍反映了情感认知处理的缺陷。识别和管理主观情绪状态的困难与一般人群中自杀和暴力等危险行为的可能性增加有关。自杀和攻击行为在囚犯样本中更为普遍，但述情障碍在这一高危群体中的作用尚未得到解释。本研究的目的是探讨成年男性囚犯的述情障碍与自杀和攻击行为之间的关系。述情障碍能显著预测自杀倾向和攻击性，在控制已知的危险因素后，这些关联仍然存在。述情障碍显著预测自杀倾向和攻击性，独立于自杀倾向和攻击性的初始水平。核心图式（关于自我和他人的信念）和冲动性将调节述情障碍和自杀/攻击性之间的联系。所有三项研究都将招募最近有自杀或攻击性行为经历的囚犯。第一项研究将使用定性方法（扎根理论）来调查述情障碍的起源，以及它如何与自杀和攻击性联系在一起。第二项研究将整理一个大型数据集，以调查关键的心理预测因素，回归建模用于验证述情障碍和自杀/攻击行为的模型。随后的纵向研究将随着时间的推移对这一模式进行审查。最后一项研究将在前三项研究的基础上开发经验抽样（日记研究）。ESM特别适合于临床领域的研究，因为它收集了丰富的数据，这些数据捕捉了适合于定量分析的主观经验。这是一个新的研究领域，将为理解危险行为的机制做出实质性的理论贡献。它具有明确的临床应用潜力，为自杀/攻击行为提供更精确的风险评估，并为高危囚犯提供心理治疗计划的内容。将该项目置于心理科学学院，并招募具有囚犯自杀个人经验的服务用户顾问，将支持博士生发展以下额外技能：1.在法医心理健康研究中实施患者和公众参与（PPI）倡议，以及解决更广泛的社会责任问题的方法，例如需要开展有影响力的研究，并广泛传播研究结果。利用与我们现有的服务用户研究小组的联系，这个博士项目的第一步之一将涉及建立一个专门的法医服务用户参考小组，其成员将有助于研究过程的各个方面。普拉特是学校领导PPI和社会责任的研究，这将有助于培养这些PPI技能的发展。涉及我们的NHS和HM监狱服务的同事，这将涉及NHS服务在监狱内的运作，以及发展和罪犯健康服务，包括公共卫生观点提供的挑战和优先事项的严格理解协作技能。

Alexithymia reflects a deficit in the cognitive processing of emotions. Difficulties identifying and managing subjective emotional states is associated with an increased likelihood of risky behaviours, e.g. suicide & violence, in the general population. Suicidal and aggressive behaviour is more prevalent within prisoner samples and yet the role of alexithymia within this high risk group has yet to be explained.The objective is to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and suicidal and aggressive behaviours within adult male prisoners.Hypotheses:1. Alexithymia significantly predicts suicidality and aggression, and these associations remain after controlling for known risk factors.2. Alexithymia significantly predicts suicidality and aggression across time, independent of initial levels of suicidality and aggression.3. Core schema (beliefs about self and others) and impulsivity will moderate the link between alexithymia and suicidality / aggression.All three studies will recruit prisoners with recent experiences of suicidal or aggressive behaviours. The first study will use qualitative methods (grounded theory) to investigate the origins of alexithymia and how it links with suicidality and aggression. The second study will collate a large dataset to investigate key psychological predictors, with regression modelling used to validate a model of alexithymia and suicidal/aggressive behaviours. A subsequent longitudinal study will examine this model over time. The final study will develop Experience Sampling (diary studies) to build on the work of the first three studies. ESM is particularly suited to research in clinical domains because it collects rich data which captures subjective experiences that are amenable to quantitative analyses.This is a novel research area which will make a substantial theoretical contribution to understanding the mechanisms for risky behaviours. It has clear potential for clinical application by informing the more precise risk assessment of suicidality / aggression, as well as informing the content of psychological therapy programmes for at-risk prisoners.Situating the project within the School of Psychological Sciences, and recruiting service user advisors with personal experience of prisoner suicidality, will support the PhD student's development of the following additional skills:1. The implementation of patient and public involvement (PPI) initiatives in forensic mental health research and ways of addressing wider issues of social responsibility, such as the need to carry out impactful research and to disseminate findings accessibly and broadly. Taking advantage of links with our existing service user research groups, one of the first steps of this PhD project will involve setting up a dedicated Forensic Service User Reference Group, the members of which will contribute to all aspects of the research process. Pratt is the School lead for PPI & Social Responsibility in Research, which will help to nurture the development of these PPI skills.2. Collaborative skills involving our NHS and HM Prison Service colleagues which will involve a rigorous understanding of the operation of NHS services within prisons, and of the challenges and priorities of the development and delivery of offender health services, including public health perspectives.