Citation

Fontesse S, Chevallereau T, Stinglhamber F, Demoulin S, Fiorito A, Chatard A, Jaafari N, Maurage P. J. Addict. Dis. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10550887.2023.2292303

PMID

38112194

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Metadehumanization (the feeling of being considered as less than human by others) is a pervasive phenomenon in psychiatric states, notably promoting self-dehumanization and suicide antecedents. However, its role in suicidal ideations among patients with addictive disorders remains unexplored. We thus investigated the involvement of metadehumanization/self-dehumanization in suicidal ideations and suicidal thoughts interference in severe alcohol use disorder.

METHODS: We measured metadehumanization, suicidal ideations, and desire for social contact through questionnaires among 35 recently detoxified patients with severe alcohol use disorder (26 males). We measured animalistic/mechanistic self-dehumanization using an Implicit Association Task, and suicidal thoughts interference using a Stroop Task with suicide-related words. We performed regression analyses while controlling for depression/anxiety.

RESULTS: Animalistic self-dehumanization was positively associated with suicidal thoughts interference and with decreased desire for social interactions, such link being absent for metadehumanization or mechanistic self-dehumanization.

CONCLUSIONS: This link between self-dehumanization and suicide-related factors suggests that a reduced sense of belonging to humanity is associated with self-harm antecedents.

RESULTS also emphasize the importance of using indirect measures to investigate sensitive variables, such as self-dehumanization and suicidal thoughts.

Language: en

Keywords

dehumanization; alcohol use disorder; Suicidal ideations