@article{ref1,
title="Words don't come easy: how male prisoners' difficulties identifying and discussing  feelings relate to suicide and violence",
journal="Frontiers in psychiatry",
year="2020",
author="Hemming, Laura and Bhatti, Peer and Shaw, Jennifer and Haddock, Gillian and Pratt, Daniel",
volume="11",
number="",
pages="e581390-e581390",
abstract="Suicide and violence are prevalent within male prisons in the UK. It has been  suggested that alexithymia may be associated with both suicide and violence. Alexithymia can be defined as an inability to identify or discuss emotions. The  present study aimed to qualitatively explore male prisoners' experiences of  alexithymia and how these experiences may relate to suicide and violence. Fifteen  male prisoners were recruited from two prisons in the North West of England. All  participants had experienced suicidal and/or violent thoughts and/or behaviors in  the past 3 months, and all screened positive on an established measure of  alexithymia. Participants took part in a qualitative interview during which they  were also given the opportunity to provide drawings of their emotions. Data were  transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis, with a collaborative approach  taken between researchers and an individual with lived experience of residing in  prison. The results indicated that male prisoners tended not to talk about their  emotions with others, due to external pressures of residing in prison in addition to  internal difficulties with recognizing and articulating emotions. Not discussing  emotions with others was associated with a build-up of emotions which could result  in either an emotional overload or an absence of emotions. Both experiences were  perceived to be associated with hurting self or others, however, participants also  identified a &quot;safety valve&quot; where it was acknowledged that using more adaptive  approaches to releasing emotions could prevent harm to self and others. These  findings suggest three main clinical implications; (1) a cultural shift in male  prisons is needed which encourages open communication of emotions (2) individualized  support is needed for those identified as experiencing a difficulty in recognizing  and articulating emotions and (3) prison staff should encourage alternative ways of  releasing emotions such as by using harm minimization or distraction techniques.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1664-0640",
doi="10.3389/fpsyt.2020.581390",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.581390"
}