Alexithymia, Impulsivity and Suicidal Ideation Among Smokers and Non-Smokers: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The present study aims at examining the relationship of Alexithymia with Impulsivity and Suicidal ideation among smokers and non-smokers. Smoking is becoming one of the leading causes of death among young adults as well as it is negatively influencing physical and mental health. It was hypothesized that there is difference of levels of Alexithymia, impulsivity and suicidal ideation among smokers and non-smokers and also assumed that there is a significant positive relationship between impulsivity and suicidal ideation. The sample comprised of (N= 132) smokers and non- smokers (males= 83 & females= 49) selected from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. To collect the data, Toronto Alexithymia Scale developed by Bagby, Parker, & Taylor, in 1994, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale developed by Ernest Barratt in 1995, and Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale developed by Spijker, Batterham, Calear, Farrer, Christensen, Reynolds, & Kerkhof in 2014 were used. The results indicated that non-smokers have higher tendency of Alexithymia than smokers with significant difference (p=0.082) whereas Impulsivity is higher in smokers with significant difference (p=0.024), (p=0.000), and Suicidal Ideation is also higher among smokers as compared to non-smokers with the significant difference (p=0.003). Results also revealed that Impulsivity is positively significantly correlated with Suicidal Ideation (p<0.05). additional findings also indicated gender differences on study variables which revealed that Impulsivity is higher among males as compared to females with significant difference (p=0.002), and Suicidal Ideation is higher among females as compared to males with the significant difference (p=0.003). The future implications and the limitations of the study were also discussed.