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Yuan Y, Qin J, Ma G, Pei J, Wei X, Yang Y, Feng J, Nan J, Yan B, Han L, Ma Y. The prevalence and characteristics of alexithymia in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2024; 33:107712. [PMID: 38599473 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2024.107712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have indicated the potential occurrence of alexithymia among stroke patients, yet the prevalence of alexithymia in this population remains disparate across different investigations without a synthesized overview. AIM To systematically evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of alexithymia in stroke patients. METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, and Weipu Database (VIP) were searched from inception to December 31,2022, two independent researchers extracted data and evaluated article quality. RESULTS Seventeen studies were included, reporting on the prevalence of alexithymia or Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) scores among stroke patients. The pooled prevalence was found to be 35.0% (95%CI= 23.0-47.0%; I2 =97.5%), and the total scores (TS) of TAS-20 was 59.90 (95% CI=56.34-63.47; I2 =100.0%). Subgroup analysis revealed significant variation in TAS-20 scores across different geographical regions. Specifically, the total TAS-20 score in Chinese stroke patients (62.95, 95%CI=58.75-67.14; I2=100%) was higher compared to non-Chinese stroke patients (52.58, 95%CI=49.12-56.04; I2 = 99.0%). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of alexithymia is high among stroke patients, with TAS-20 scores surpassing those observed in patients with certain other medical conditions. This underscores the importance of addressing alexithymia in stroke patients promptly through assessment and intervention to mitigate negative emotional consequences and enhance overall quality of life. Future research could explore the influence of demographic factors such as age and sex on alexithymia in stroke patients, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of alexithymia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yuan
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiangxia Qin
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guifen Ma
- The Health School of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gannan Prefecture, Gansu Province, China
| | - Juhong Pei
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiaoqin Wei
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yiyi Yang
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Juanjuan Feng
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jinhan Nan
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Boling Yan
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Lin Han
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Department of Nursing, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Yuxia Ma
- Evidence-Based Nursing Center, School of Nursing of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu Province, China.
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Kang Y, Kim A, Kang W, Han KM, Ham B. The Association of White Matter Tracts with Alexithymia among Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder. Exp Neurobiol 2022; 31:343-352. [PMID: 36351844 PMCID: PMC9659491 DOI: 10.5607/en22030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is characterized by impairments in the processing of emotions. Although the disruptions in the white matter (WM) integrity in Major depressive disorder (MDD) has frequently been reported, the underlying relationship with alexithymia remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated WM tracts with Tracts Constrained by UnderLying Anatomy approach to discover potential associations between alexithymia and WM integrity to identify the neural basis of impaired emotional self-awareness in MDD. 101 patients with MDD and 99 healthy sex- and age-matched individuals underwent diffusion-weighted imaging. All participants were assessed with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). TAS scores were significantly higher in MDD patients than in controls. Patients with MDD exhibited significantly lower FA values in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and it also showed negative associations with TAS. These results contribute to the neurobiological evidence on the association between MDD and alexithymia. Additionally, they suggest that reduced white matter integrity in the regions constitutes a principal pathophysiology underlying impaired emotional recognition and description in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbin Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Aram Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Wooyoung Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Kyu-Man Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Byoungjoo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
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3
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Honkalampi K, Jokela M, Lehto SM, Kivimäki M, Virtanen M. Association between alexithymia and substance use: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scand J Psychol 2022; 63:427-438. [PMID: 35436351 PMCID: PMC9790486 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia has been associated with substance use, but the magnitude of the association has not been evaluated and sub-group differences, if any, are unknown. The aim of this meta-analysis is to systematically review the association between alexithymia and substance use (alcohol or illicit drugs). We identified studies through a systematic review of PubMed and Web of Science and obtained a total of 52 publications using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 scale. Random effects meta-analysis was used to evaluate the overall and sub-group associations. Of the studies, 50 were cross-sectional and two longitudinal. Alexithymia was associated with any substance use (Cohen's d = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-0.76), with little difference between estimates for use of alcohol or illicit drugs. A stronger association was observed for the alexithymia dimension "Difficulty in Identifying Feelings" (d = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.47-0.81) and "Difficulty in Describing Feelings" (d = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.32-0.55) than for "Externally Oriented Thinking" (d = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.09-0.28). The association was stronger in studies with clinical patient populations (d = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.62-1.05) than in those investigating general or student populations, and in studies with a majority of male rather than female participants. These findings suggest a strong overall association between alexithymia and substance use and a very strong association among clinical patient populations. The association may be stronger with the emotion-related dimensions than with the cognition-related dimension of alexithymia. As nearly all the studies were cross-sectional, more longitudinal studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsi Honkalampi
- School of Educational Sciences and PsychologyUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland
| | - Markus Jokela
- Department of Psychology and LogopedicsUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Soili M. Lehto
- Department of Psychology and LogopedicsUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Institute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway,R&D department, Division of Mental Health ServicesAkershus University HospitalLørenskogNorway,Department of PsychiatryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Mika Kivimäki
- Clinicum, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Department of Epidemiology and Public HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Marianna Virtanen
- School of Educational Sciences and PsychologyUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland,Division of Insurance MedicineKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexisomia refers to difficulties in the awareness and expression of somatic feelings. This idea was proposed by Dr. Yujiro Ikemi as a characteristic observed in patients with psychosomatic diseases and is based on his observations that patients with psychosomatic diseases have difficulty in the awareness and expression of not only their emotions, i.e., alexithymia, but also somatic feelings and sensations, i.e., alexisomia. He also proposed that treating alexisomia is important in the treatment of psychosomatic diseases and that yoga might help improve alexisomia. However, no study has investigated if yoga actually affects alexisomia. This open-label pilot study investigated whether practicing yoga in a class results in change in patients with alexisomia and alexithymia. METHODS The Shitsu-taikan-sho Scale (STSS) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were administered to 305 participants, including 64 healthy participants, 111 participants who had subjective symptoms without abnormal findings, and 130 participants with chronic diseases. Participants were tested before and 3 months after attending yoga classes. RESULTS Yoga practice reduced the STSS and the TAS-20 difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF) subscale scores. Multiple linear regression indicated that a reduction in the TAS-20 DIF subscale scores predicted a decrease in the STSS score, whereas reductions in the STSS difficulty in identifying bodily feelings (DIB) and the lack of health management based on bodily feelings (LHM) subscale scores predicted a decrease in the TAS-20 scores. CONCLUSION We found that regular yoga practice improves alexisomia. Yoga-induced improvement of alexisomia may be mediated, at least in part, by an improvement of DIF in alexithymia. Yoga would be a promising therapeutic approach to improve alexisomia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takakazu Oka
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital, 852 Hatakeda, Narita, Chiba, 286-8520, Japan.
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Battuvshin Lkhagvasuren
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital, 852 Hatakeda, Narita, Chiba, 286-8520, Japan
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Van der Auwera S, Ameling S, Nauck M, Völzke H, Völker U, Grabe HJ. Plasma circulating micro-RNAs associated with alexithymia reflect a high overlap on neuropsychiatric outcomes. J Affect Disord 2022; 305:206-212. [PMID: 35283179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia ("no word for feelings") is a personality feature that is common in patients with psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about biological causes and mechanism behind. Research so far focusses on genetic risk variants primary associated with depression, but analyses on epigenetic mechanisms are still missing. METHODS In a sample of n = 813 subjects from the "Study of Health in Pomerania" we analyzed the association between alexithymia and plasma circulating micro RNAs (miRNA). Significant miRNAs were compared to associations regarding depression and pathway analyses were performed. RESULTS Two miRNAs were significantly associated with at least one of the alexithymia scores (hsa-miR-324-3p, hsa-miR-33a-5p) and three miRNAs additionally revealed a strong association pattern to alexithymia (hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-miR-484, hsa-miR-25-3p). None of these miRNAs was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in our sample. Literature research showed that all of the miRNAs have been found in association with several neuropsychiatric phenotypes. LIMITATIONS Main limitations are the lack of a replication sample as well as the limited number of miRNAs analyzed. CONCLUSIONS This is the first analysis investigating the association between miRNAs and alexithymia. Results indicate that miRNAs are not specific for one psychiatric disorder but may influence biological mechanisms that are involved in various psychiatric conditions which might be relevant for future treatment options and improve the biological understanding of psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Van der Auwera
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Sabine Ameling
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Nauck
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.; Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.; Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Uwe Völker
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Dattolo A, Samela T, Abeni D, Pallotta S, Sampogna F. Multi-Method Approach in the Assessment of Alexithymia in Patients With Scleroderma: Use of Two Different Tools. Front Psychol 2021; 12:696345. [PMID: 34912260 PMCID: PMC8666454 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.696345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Alexithymia is frequent in patients with some chronic dermatological conditions. The aim of the study was to measure the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) using two different tools. Methods: Consecutive patients diagnosed with SSc were recruited at day hospital and hospitalization regimen. Alexithymia was measured using the self-administered questionnaire 20-item Toronto Alexithymia scale (TAS-20) and the semi-structured interview 24-item Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA). Results: The study sample consisted of 67 female patients, aged from 29 to 82 years. According to TAS-20, 22.4% of patients were alexithymic and 17.9% were borderline alexithymic. Also, in our sample mean TAS-20 value was 48.9 and TSIA mean value was 20.3. Spearman's correlation coefficient between TAS-20 total score and TSIA total score was 0.603. A high correlation was observed between TAS total score and the "Affective Awareness" (AA) scale of the TSIA. TSIA total score significantly correlated with the "Difficulty describing feeling to others" (DDF) scale of the TAS-20. The highest correlation between scales of the two instruments was that between TAS-20 DDF and TSIA AA (r = 0.675). Conclusion: The prevalence of alexithymia in SSc patients was higher than in the general population, and similar to that of psoriasis patients. The measurements obtained using the TAS-20 and the TSIA were highly correlated. However, they also showed some diversities in the scales, indicating that they may measure different domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Dattolo
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Tonia Samela
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Vaiouli P, Panayiotou G. Alexithymia and Autistic Traits: Associations With Social and Emotional Challenges Among College Students. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:733775. [PMID: 34744608 PMCID: PMC8566745 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.733775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alexithymia is a multifaceted personality construct defined by marked difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and in externally oriented thinking. Given its intrinsic role in social-emotional processing, alexithymia is now recognized as a trans-diagnostic trait in a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Research has pinpointed to the co-occurrence of autism with characteristics typical of alexithymic normative samples, such as social-communication difficulties and decreased emotion regulation abilities. Nonetheless, the role of individual facets of alexithymia in predicting challenges in social communication functioning is still understudied. Methods: In total, 275 young adults completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (short form), the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale self-reported questionnaires for assessing alexithymic and autistic traits, social-communication abilities, and emotion regulation difficulties. We used regression models to establish cross-sectional associations between autism, alexithymia, and social-emotional difficulties. Also, we ran a parallel mediation analysis to determine whether the relationship between autistic traits and emotion regulations challenges are mediated by Alexithymia facets. Results: Analysis showed a significant positive association between autistic traits and alexithymic traits and between autistic traits and emotion regulation difficulties while, as expected, autistic traits were negatively correlated with social skills. A significant relationship was found among the participants' levels of alexithymia and their interpersonal skills with two of three alexithymic subscales significantly contributing to the model. Similarly, a significant relationship was found among alexithymia subscales and emotion regulation difficulties with all three alexithymia subscales being statistically significant. Finally, analysis on two mediator models indicated a significant effect of autistic traits on social skills mediated by alexithymic traits as well as a significant indirect effect of autistic traits on emotion regulation difficulties mediated by alexithymic traits. Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence of the influence of different alexithymic facets on the relationship between autistic traits and social-emotional challenges in young adults. Longitudinal studies may explore further alexithymia and its associations with social-emotional difficulties in autism as well as the potential implications of these findings in intervention and treatment programs.
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Wang Z, S Goerlich K, Luo Y, Xu P, Aleman A. Social-Specific Impairment of Negative Emotion Perception in Alexithymia. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:387-397. [PMID: 34406408 PMCID: PMC8972281 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia has been characterized as an impaired ability of emotion processing and regulation. The definition of alexithymia does not include a social component. However, there is some evidence that social cognition may be compromised in individuals with alexithymia. Hence, emotional impairments associated with alexithymia may extend to socially relevant information. Here, we recorded electrophysiological responses of individuals meeting the clinically relevant cutoff for alexithymia (ALEX; n = 24) and individuals without alexithymia (NonALEX; n = 23) while they viewed affective scenes that varied on the dimensions of sociality and emotional valence during a rapid serial visual presentation task. We found that ALEX exhibited lower accuracy and larger N2 than NonALEX in the perception of social negative scenes. Source reconstruction revealed that the group difference in N2 was localized at the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Irrespective of emotional valence, ALEX showed stronger alpha power than NonALEX in social but not non-social conditions. Our findings support the hypothesis of social processing being selectively affected by alexithymia, especially for stimuli with negative valence. Electrophysiological evidence suggests altered deployment of attentional resources in the perception of social-specific emotional information in alexithymia. This work sheds light on the neuropsychopathology of alexithymia and alexithymia-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katharina S Goerlich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.,Great Bay Neuroscience and Technology Research Institute (Hong Kong), Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
| | - André Aleman
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Alexithymia is defined as the inability of persons to describe their emotional
states, to identify the feelings of others, and a utilitarian type of thinking.
The most popular instrument to assess alexithymia is the Toronto Alexithymia
Scale (TAS-20). Despite its widespread use, an ongoing controversy pertains to
its internal structure. The TAS-20 was originally constructed to capture three
different factors, but several studies suggested different factor solutions,
including bifactor models and models with a method factor for the reversely
keyed items. The present study examined the dimensionality of the TAS-20 using
summary data of 88 samples from 62 studies (total N = 69,722)
with meta-analytic structural equation modeling. We found support for the
originally proposed three-dimensional solution, whereas more complex models
produced inconsistent factor loadings. Because a major source of misfit stems
from translated versions, the results are discussed with respect to
generalizations across languages and cultural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Timo Gnambs
- Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories, Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany
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10
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Veirman E, Van Ryckeghem DML, Verleysen G, De Paepe AL, Crombez G. What do alexithymia items measure? A discriminant content validity study of the Toronto-alexithymia-scale-20. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11639. [PMID: 34249500 PMCID: PMC8253111 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Questions have been raised about whether items of alexithymia scales assess the construct alexithymia and its key features, and no other related constructs. This study assessed the (discriminant) content validity of the most widely used alexithymia scale, i.e., the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Methods Participants (n = 81) rated to what extent TAS-20 items and items of related constructs were relevant for assessing the constructs ‘alexithymia’, ‘difficulty identifying feelings’, ‘difficulty describing feelings’, ‘externally-oriented thinking’, ‘limited imaginal capacity’, ‘anxiety’, ‘depression’, and ‘health anxiety’. Results Results revealed that, overall, the TAS-20 did only partly measure ‘alexithymia’. Only the subscales ‘difficulty identifying feelings’ and ‘difficulty describing feelings’ represented ‘alexithymia’ and their intended construct, although some content overlap between these subscales was found. In addition, some items assessed (health) anxiety equally well or even better. Conclusions Revision of the TAS-20 is recommended to adequately assess all key features of alexithymia. Findings with the TAS-20 need to be interpreted with caution in people suffering from medical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Veirman
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dimitri M L Van Ryckeghem
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.,Experimental Health Psychology, Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Gregory Verleysen
- Centre for Research and Innovation in Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,End-of-Life Care Research group, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Annick L De Paepe
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Barchetta S, Martino G, Craparo G, Salehinejad MA, Nitsche MA, Vicario CM. Alexithymia Is Linked with a Negative Bias for Past and Current Events in Healthy Humans. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:6696. [PMID: 34206284 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18136696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Although research provides a rich literature about the influence of emotional states on temporal cognition, evidence about the influence of the style of emotion processing, as a personality trait, on temporal cognition is extremely limited. We provide a novel contribution to the field by exploring the relationship between difficulties of identifying and describing feelings and emotions (alexithymia) and time perspective. One hundred and forty-two healthy participants completed an online version of the TAS-20 scale, which measures alexithymia, and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, which monitors individual differences in time-orientation regarding the past, present, and future. The results show greater attention to past negative aspects in participants whose TAS-20 score was indicating borderline or manifest alexithymia, as compared to non-alexithymic individuals. Moreover, the higher the TAS-20 score, the higher the tendency was to focus on negative aspects of the past and interpret the present fatalistically. These results suggest that difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and emotions are associated with a negative bias for past and present events. Theoretical and clinical implications of this finding are discussed.
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12
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Wang Z, Chen M, Goerlich KS, Aleman A, Xu P, Luo Y. Deficient auditory emotion processing but intact emotional multisensory integration in alexithymia. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13806. [PMID: 33742708 PMCID: PMC9285530 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia has been associated with emotion recognition deficits in both auditory and visual domains. Although emotions are inherently multimodal in daily life, little is known regarding abnormalities of emotional multisensory integration (eMSI) in relation to alexithymia. Here, we employed an emotional Stroop‐like audiovisual task while recording event‐related potentials (ERPs) in individuals with high alexithymia levels (HA) and low alexithymia levels (LA). During the task, participants had to indicate whether a voice was spoken in a sad or angry prosody while ignoring the simultaneously presented static face which could be either emotionally congruent or incongruent to the human voice. We found that HA performed worse and showed higher P2 amplitudes than LA independent of emotion congruency. Furthermore, difficulties in identifying and describing feelings were positively correlated with the P2 component, and P2 correlated negatively with behavioral performance. Bayesian statistics showed no group differences in eMSI and classical integration‐related ERP components (N1 and N2). Although individuals with alexithymia indeed showed deficits in auditory emotion recognition as indexed by decreased performance and higher P2 amplitudes, the present findings suggest an intact capacity to integrate emotional information from multiple channels in alexithymia. Our work provides valuable insights into the relationship between alexithymia and neuropsychological mechanisms of emotional multisensory integration. Our behavioral and electrophysiological data provide substantial evidence for intact emotion multisensory integration in relation to alexithymia. With high ecological validity, these findings are of particular importance given that humans are constantly exposed to competing, complex audiovisual emotional information in social interaction contexts. Our work has important implications for the psychophysiology of alexithymia and emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mai Chen
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Katharina S Goerlich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - André Aleman
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pengfei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Research Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnologies, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The Research Center of Brain Science and Visual Cognition, Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.,Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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Aluja A, Malas O, Urieta P, Worner F, Balada F. Biological correlates of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale ( TAS-20) in cardiovascular disease and healthy community subjects. Physiol Behav 2020; 227:113151. [PMID: 32841673 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This research studies the relationship between Alexithymia, behavioural, biometric, biochemical and cardiovascular risk in clinical and healthy samples. There were 602 participants (mean age of 52.82 ± 10.59) divided into two groups. The first was made up of 202 patients (165 males and 37 females) who had suffered a cardiovascular disease (CVD), while the second was composed of 400 (285 males and 115 females) healthy volunteers without CVD diagnosis. A cardiovascular risk index (CRI) was developed with the high factorial loading of the following variables: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol/HDL, triglycerides, body mass index, glucose and alcohol and tobacco consumption. The results showed a significant correlation between Alexithymia and the CRI. After controlling for age, sex, occupation, alcohol and tobacco consumption, this correlation decreased, but remained significant for most values. Alexithymia predicted 6% of CRI in the entire sample, once age and sex effect were discounted. Alexithymic subjects with scores above a cut-off point set at higher than 60 had higher levels of glucose, systolic, diastolic, cholesterol/HDL and cardiovascular risk. We discuss that Alexithymia scores contribute to cardiovascular risk, supporting previous findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Aluja
- University of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Olga Malas
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Patricia Urieta
- University of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Fernando Worner
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain; Cardiology Service of the Hospital Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida, Spain
| | - Ferran Balada
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Catalonia. Spain
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Leonardi E, Cerasa A, Famà FI, Carrozza C, Spadaro L, Scifo R, Baieli S, Marino F, Tartarisco G, Vagni D, Pioggia G, Ruta L. Alexithymia Profile in Relation to Negative Affect in Parents of Autistic and Typically Developing Young Children. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10080496. [PMID: 32751299 PMCID: PMC7464393 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10080496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In our study, we explored the construct of alexithymia in parents of children with and without ASD using a multi-method approach based on self-rated and external rater assessment. We also assessed the level of self-report measures of negative affect states such as trait anxiety and depression, and investigated the correlation between the alexithymia construct, trait anxiety, and depression within the broader autism phenotype (BAP). A total sample of 100 parents (25 mothers and 25 fathers in each group) were administered the TAS-20 and the TSIA to measure self-reported and observer-rated alexithymia traits, as well as self-report measures of anxiety and depression. Study results showed that the TSIA but not the TAS-20 was able to detect significant group differences in alexithymia traits among parents of children with and without ASD, with parents of ASD children displaying significantly higher levels of alexithymia. Furthermore, differently from the TAS-20, no significant correlations between the TSIA and measures of anxiety and depression were detected. Taken together, our results suggest the importance of using multi-method approaches to control for potential measurement bias and to detect psychological constructs such as alexithymia in subclinical samples such as parents of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Leonardi
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Antonio Cerasa
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
- S. Anna Institute and Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation (RAN), 88900 Crotone, Italy
| | - Francesca Isabella Famà
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Cristina Carrozza
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Letteria Spadaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Renato Scifo
- Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Child Psychiatry Unit, Provincial Health Service of Catania (ASP CT), 95100 Catania, Italy; (R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Sabrina Baieli
- Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Child Psychiatry Unit, Provincial Health Service of Catania (ASP CT), 95100 Catania, Italy; (R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Flavia Marino
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Gennaro Tartarisco
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - David Vagni
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Giovanni Pioggia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Liliana Ruta
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence:
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Duquette P. More Than Words Can Say: A Multi-Disciplinary Consideration of the Psychotherapeutic Evaluation and Treatment of Alexithymia. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:433. [PMID: 32523552 PMCID: PMC7261853 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a disorder that stands at the border of mind and body, with psychological/affective and physiological/experiential disturbances. The purpose of this article is to propose a new clinical access point for the evaluation and treatment of the deficits in emotional awareness demonstrated in alexithymia. This will be based on insights from recent neuroscientific research, which is adding to the psychodynamic understanding of alexithymia, regarding clinical presentation and etiology. Following a brief review of definitions, forms of measurement, and potential etiologic elements of alexithymia, current neuroscientific theory and research into "predictive processing" approaches to brain function will be outlined, including how "interoception" and "interoceptive inference" underpins emotion and emotional awareness. From this synergistic perspective, I will outline how interoceptive inference provides a key to the link between: problems in early life relational experiences and the patient's long held, but suboptimal models of their inner and outer world. This is reflected in the deficits in affective experiencing and emotional awareness described in alexithymia. Three clinical cases will be presented to illustrate this nuanced consideration of alexithymic etiology and treatment. The implications of the historical, psychological, and somatic aspects of experience will be considered, regarding the patients' diminished ability to: experience and represent emotional experience as distinct feeling states; signify the relevant meaning of affective experience; and incorporate such with cognitions to adaptively guide behavior. These will be addressed using psychometric, psychological, neuro-cognitive, and neurocomputational approaches. Elements from current theory, research, and treatment of alexithymia, will be highlighted that are salient to the clinician, in order to support their understanding of patients against the backdrop of current psychodynamic and neuroscientific research, which will thereby increase treatment options and benefits. The focus, and conclusion, of this article is the role that attention to interoception can play (within the safety of the therapeutic relationship and within any therapeutic process) in allowing updating of the patient's strongly held but dysfunctional beliefs.
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Stivaleti Colombarolli M, Carolina Zuanazzi A, Koich Miguel F, Giromini L. Psychometric properties of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale ( TAS-20) in Brazil. Transcult Psychiatry 2019; 56:992-1010. [PMID: 31067154 DOI: 10.1177/1363461519847312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Internationally, the most widely used self-report instrument to assess alexithymia (a clinical condition characterized by serious deficits in the cognitive processing of emotions) is the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Because this measure has been poorly investigated in Brazil and emerging research suggests that TAS-20 scores might vary from one culture to another, we sought to: (1) investigate the psychometric properties of a Brazilian TAS-20; and (2) examine the degree to which Brazilian non-clinical TAS-20 scores differ from the scores of non-clinical samples from other cultures. A sample of 850 non-clinical Brazilian adults were administered a number of questionnaires and performance-based measures via online data collection. Data analyses inspected internal consistency and factor structure of the TAS-20, and tested the association of TAS-20 scores to emotional functioning and psychopathology. In line with previous international research, the Brazilian TAS-20 showed acceptable to adequate psychometric properties. Furthermore, TAS-20 scores associated negatively with empathy and emotional perception, and positively with emotion dysregulation and personality traits like dependency, abrupt changes in mood, and avoidance of criticism. Also noteworthy, our non-clinical Brazilian TAS-20 scores were very similar to those observed in other previously published non-clinical TAS-20 scores from seven non-Brazilian cultures.
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González-Arias M, Martínez-Molina A, Galdames S, Urzúa A. Psychometric Properties of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in the Chilean Population. Front Psychol 2018; 9:963. [PMID: 29946289 PMCID: PMC6005868 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia can be defined as inability to identify and describe emotions in the self. Has shown to be related to several psychological and pathological processes that can result in unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships and decreased social adjustment. Advances in research of alexithymia require the development and validation of assessment instruments, and its application to different population. With this aim, we studied the psychometric properties of the Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Chilean population using various modeling procedures (e.g., CFA, ESEM) in different structures (i.e., Correlated, Unidimensional, Hierarchical or Wording factors). Among the 10 models tested, the four-dimensional structure offered the best fit but with item-loading problems in the last factor (Pragmatic Thinking). We suggest that the studied version of the scale needs improvement (theoretical and empirical) to ensure optimal indices of validation for Chilean population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agustín Martínez-Molina
- Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Psicología y Sociología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Alfonso Urzúa
- Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
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Maroti D, Lilliengren P, Bileviciute-Ljungar I. The Relationship Between Alexithymia and Emotional Awareness: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Correlation Between TAS-20 and LEAS. Front Psychol 2018; 9:453. [PMID: 29713295 PMCID: PMC5911526 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alexithymia and emotional awareness may be considered overlapping constructs and both have been shown to be related to psychological and emotional well-being. However, it is not clear how the constructs relate to each other empirically or if they may overlap more or less in different populations. The aim of this review was therefore to conduct a meta-analysis of correlations between the most commonly used measures of alexithymia (i.e., the self-report instrument Toronto Alexithymia Scale; TAS-20) and emotional awareness (i.e., the observer-rated instrument Level of Emotional Awareness Scale; LEAS) and to explore potential moderators of their relationship. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies published until the end of February 2018. Study samples were coded as medical conditions, psychiatric disorders and/or healthy controls and sample mean age and gender distribution were extracted. Correlations between the TAS-20 and the LEAS were subjected to a random effect of meta-analysis and moderators were explored in subgroup analyses and meta-regressions. Publication bias was considered. Results: 21 studies reporting on 28 independent samples on correlation analysis were included, encompassing a total of 2857 subjects (57% women). The aggregated correlation between TAS-20 and LEAS was r = −0.122 (95% CI [−0.180, −0.064]; Z = −4.092; p < 0.001), indicating a significant, but weak, negative relationship between the measures. Heterogeneity was moderate, but we found no indication of significant differences between patients with medical conditions, psychiatric disorders or healthy controls, nor that mean age or percentage of female subjects moderated the relationship. The overall estimate became somewhat weaker after adjusting for possible publication bias. Conclusions: Our results indicate that TAS-20 and LEAS measure different aspects of emotional functioning. The small overlap suggests that alexithymia and emotional awareness are distinct constructs of emotional well-being. Clinicians need to assess both aspects when considering treatment options for individual patients. Moreover, from the clinical standpoint, an easy reliable and valid way of measuring emotional awareness is still needed. More research should be focus on the differences between alexithymia and emotional awareness in specific conditions, but also how to integrate self-report instrument and observed based measures in a clinical situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Maroti
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Rehabilitation Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Lilliengren
- Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Indre Bileviciute-Ljungar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Rehabilitation Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Epifanio MS, Ingoglia S, Alfano P, Lo Coco G, La Grutta S. Type D Personality and Alexithymia: Common Characteristics of Two Different Constructs. Implications for Research and Clinical Practice. Front Psychol 2018; 9:106. [PMID: 29479327 PMCID: PMC5811501 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few decades, particular attention has been paid to the role of personality specific traits that can affect the loss of health, i.e., Type D personality and Alexithymia. They have been conceptualized in a different period, this means that they are different both for their theoretical positions and their empirical studies. Some authors have speculated that there is a potential conceptual overlap between Type D personality and alexithymia constructs but there is a shortcoming in the literature. The aim of the study was to examine the potential overlap between the constructs of type D personality and alexithymia, replicating previous two studies, to extend these findings to Italian population. The participants were 247 Italian adults (males = 43%), recruited in primary health care practices of Palermo. All participants did not have chronic diseases during tests administration. They ranged in age from 35 to 69 years old (M = 52.34 years, SD = 9.76). Participants were administered Type D Personality Scale (DS-14) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). A series of confirmatory factor analyses was performed to evaluate the factorial structure underlying the TAS-20 and DS-14 items. Globally results showed that alexithymia and type D personality are distinct constructs, but they are also strictly positively related with each other. Negative affectivity (NA) was highly correlated with Difficulties in identifying feelings and Difficulties in describing feelings, while Social inhibition (SI) was highly correlated with Difficulties in describing feelings. These results are consistent with those of other studies conducted in this area. Future research should consider evaluating the relationship between a deficit of affect regulation and type D personality to improve the effectiveness of interventions of health cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria S. Epifanio
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sonia Ingoglia
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Pietro Alfano
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lo Coco
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sabina La Grutta
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is characterised by difficulties identifying and describing emotions. Few studies have investigated how alexithymia influences decision-making under different conditions (ambiguity and risk). This study aimed to examine whether alexithymia contributes to impairment in decision-making. METHOD This study included 42 participants with high scores in the Chinese version of Toronto Alexithymia Scale (alexithymia group), and 44 matched subjects with low scores (control group). Decision-making was measured using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Game of Dice Task (GDT). RESULTS The main findings of this study revealed selective deficits in IGT performance for the alexithymia group, while GDT performance was unimpaired when compared with the control group. In IGT, total netscores were lower for the alexithymia group compared to the control group, particularly with regard to block 5. Moreover, the alexithymia individuals selected significantly more adverse cards than the controls, indicating significant decision-making impairments. CONCLUSION Alexithymia selectively influences decision-making under ambiguity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- 0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aDepartment of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province China ,0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aAnhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xue Wang
- 0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aDepartment of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province China
| | - Yu Zhu
- 0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aDepartment of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province China
| | - Hongchen Li
- 0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aDepartment of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province China
| | - Chunyan Zhu
- 0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aDepartment of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province China ,0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aAnhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fengqiong Yu
- 0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aDepartment of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province China ,0000 0000 9490 772Xgrid.186775.aAnhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. .,Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorder and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. .,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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Delhaye M, Orts F, Bury F, Loas G. [The alexithymia questionnaire for children (AQC): Psychometric properties in a sample of 105 adolescents hospitalized in an adolescent psychiatric department]. Encephale 2016; 44:148-151. [PMID: 27745718 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) is the most widely used measure of alexithymia in non-clinical or clinical populations. The TAS-20 evaluates three dimensions of the alexithymia construct: the difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), the difficulty describing feelings (DDF) and externally oriented thinking (EOT). The TAS-20 is also used in adolescents or children, and the psychometric properties of the scale have not been systematically evaluated in these populations. Recently several studies have shown systematic age differences in the factor structure and a decrease of the quality of the measurement with age. Notably, low reliability measured by the Cronbach α coefficient has been found for the EOT factor. Taking into account the limitations of the TAS-20 in pre-adult populations the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC), an adaptation of the TAS-20, has been proposed by a reformulation of the TAS-20 items (Rieffe et al., 2006). Two studies in healthy children found satisfactory psychometric properties with the three-factor structure demonstrating adequate parameters in the confirmatory factorial analyses (CFA). In the two studies low reliabilities of the EOT factor were reported, and recent studies in adolescents using the TAS-20 found that a two-factor model (DDF, DIF) had a better fit than the original three-factor model. Thus, the aim of the present study was firstly to verify the psychometric properties of the AQC in a sample of adolescents presenting various psychiatric disorders and secondly to test the adequacy of the bi- or tridimensional model of the scale. METHOD One hundred and five adolescents (27 males, 78 females) with a mean age of 15.06 years (sd=1.55, range: 12-18 years) were hospitalized in the adolescent psychiatric department of the Erasme Hospital (Bruxelles, Belgium) for various psychiatric disorders. The main diagnoses were: adjustment disorder (n=56, 53.5%), mood or anxiety disorders (n=17, 16.2%), impulse control disorder (n=11, 10.5%). The subjects completed the French version of the AQC. CFA were done testing the adequacy of the three or two-factor structure of the scale. Two indices were considered: the normed χ2 (ratio of χ2 and degrees of freedom) and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The values for acceptable fit were normed χ2<3 and RMSEA<0.05. Cronbach α were also calculated. RESULTS Fit indices for the three-factor model were respectively 1.165 and 0.0303 for the normed χ2 and RMSEA. For the two-factor model, the values were respectively 0.819 and 0. Thus, these two well-fitting models were compared using the χ2-difference test, which indicated a significantly better fit for the two-factor model over the three-factor model (χ2-difference=151.447, delta df=114, P<0.05). The values of the Cronbach α coefficients were respectively 0.72, 0.75, 0.18 for DIF, DDF and EOT subscales. Moreover, the values of the Cronbach α coefficients were respectively 0.71 and 0.83 for the full scale and the scale without the EOT items. CONCLUSION The Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children had satisfactory psychometric properties found in a sample of adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Taking into account firstly the superiority of the two-factor model over the classical three-factor model and secondly the low value of the Cronbach α for the EOT factor, it is proposed to use only the twelve-item scale by excluding the EOT items.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Delhaye
- Department of adolescent psychiatry, laboratory of psychiatry research (ULB 266), hôpital Erasme, université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - F Orts
- Department of adolescent psychiatry, laboratory of psychiatry research (ULB 266), hôpital Erasme, université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - F Bury
- Department of adolescent psychiatry, laboratory of psychiatry research (ULB 266), hôpital Erasme, université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - G Loas
- Department of adolescent psychiatry, laboratory of psychiatry research (ULB 266), hôpital Erasme, université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique.
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Craparo G, Faraci P, Gori A. Psychometric Properties of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in a Group of Italian Younger Adolescents. Psychiatry Investig 2015; 12:500-7. [PMID: 26508961 PMCID: PMC4620307 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2015.12.4.500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alexithymia is a personality construct that inhibits and interferes with normal affect regulating abilities. The purpose of our study was to assess psychometric properties of TAS-20 in younger adolescents. METHODS Data were collected from 508 younger adolescents (48.8% male and 51.2% female) with a mean age of 12.56 years (DS=0.50, range: 12-13 years). We administered the following scales: 20-Item-Toronto Alexithymia Scale. RESULTS The confirmatory factor analysis performed on the second random subsample showed reasonable goodness-of-fit for the oblique bi-factorial model: [chi](2) (32, n=254)=54.22; p=0.008; χ(2)/df=1.69; NNFI=0.92; CFI=0.95; SRMR=0.05; RMSEA=0.05; 90% confidence interval=0.027-0.078. CONCLUSION Based on the outcomes of our research we support the idea of evaluating adolescents for alexithymia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Craparo
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, Enna, Italy
| | - Palmira Faraci
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University of Enna, Enna, Italy
| | - Alessio Gori
- Department of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Koch AS, Kleiman A, Wegener I, Zur B, Imbierowicz K, Geiser F, Conrad R. Factorial structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in a large sample of somatoform patients. Psychiatry Res 2015; 225:355-63. [PMID: 25613660 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Although a strong association between alexithymia and somatization has been postulated in numerous studies, no systematic study has investigated the psychometric properties of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in a sample of patients with somatoform disorder yet. The purpose of this study was to ensure a valid assessment by the German version of the TAS-20 in somatoform samples. We investigated whether the original three-factor model proposed by Bagby et al. (1994a), which is widely used in clinical research and practice, is replicable in a large sample of somatoform patients (n=806). Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) the goodness-of-fit of the originally proposed factor structure was compared to three factor models generated with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and other factorial solutions derived from the literature. Our results demonstrate that the original three-factor model is not replicable in somatoform patients. Instead, the four-factor model by Franz et al. (2001b) described the data best. However, none of the models met all criteria of confirmatory factor analysis. Our results indicate that the three-factor model is not robust in the German version of the TAS-20. At this state of research we recommend to use the TAS-20 sum-score as a measure of alexithymia in somatoform patients in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Sarah Koch
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Kleiman
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingo Wegener
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Berndt Zur
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Germany
| | - Katrin Imbierowicz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Franziska Geiser
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Rupert Conrad
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany.
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Alkan Härtwig E, Crayen C, Heuser I, Eid M. It's in the mix: psychological distress differs between combinations of alexithymic facets. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1259. [PMID: 25429275 PMCID: PMC4228974 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying, describing, and communicating one's emotions. The aim of the present study is to examine the usefulness of a typological approach considering the interaction between distinct alexithymic features within a population of high-alexithymic German adults (N = 217). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to test for possible underlying profiles. A 3-profile solution showed the best fit: The profiles can be described as (1) "low": lower load on all facets of alexithymia, (2) "mixed": specific problems on identifying emotions, and (3) "high": higher load on all facets of alexithymia. Moreover, this study tested how these profiles differed in psychological distress. "Mixed" profile, with specific problems on identifying emotions showed the highest levels of psychological distress. The present study suggests the importance of a specific combination of alexithymic features, rather than total alexithymia scores, as a risk factor for psychological distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Alkan Härtwig
- Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion,” Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Charitè University MedicineBerlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Crayen
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Isabella Heuser
- Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion,” Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Charitè University MedicineBerlin, Germany
| | - Michael Eid
- Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion,” Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
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Korkoliakou P, Christodoulou C, Kouris A, Porichi E, Efstathiou V, Kaloudi E, Kokkevi A, Stavrianeas N, Papageorgiou C, Douzenis A. Alexithymia, anxiety and depression in patients with psoriasis: a case-control study. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2014; 13:38. [PMID: 25520742 PMCID: PMC4269099 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-014-0038-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia, the difficulty in describing or recognizing emotions, has been associated with various psychosomatic pathologies including psoriasis. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of alexithymia and its association with anxiety and depression in patients with psoriasis compared with healthy participants, while taking into consideration demographic and clinical variables. METHODS One hundred and eight psoriatic patients and 100 healthy participants from the general population completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The severity of patients' psoriasis was clinically assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS Psoriatic patients had higher levels of alexithymia compared with healthy participants. While a rather high rate of psoriatic patients presented anxiety and depression as defined by the HADS, the differences that were found in comparison with the control group were not significant. Neither alexithymia nor its dimensions, difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty in describing feelings (DDF) and externally oriented thinking (EOT), were associated with gender or psoriasis severity. Age was associated only with EOT, which was independent of depression and anxiety. Higher anxiety and depression were connected with higher alexithymia and DIF, while higher anxiety with higher DDF as well. CONCLUSIONS The alexithymia prevalence was higher in psoriatic patients than that in healthy participants, while it was positively correlated with anxiety and depression. Difficulty in identifying feelings was connected with both anxiety and depression, whereas difficulty in describing them was only with anxiety. Finally, externally oriented thinking was predicted only from age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota Korkoliakou
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Christos Christodoulou
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Anargyros Kouris
- Second Department of Dermatology, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Evgenia Porichi
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Vasiliki Efstathiou
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Eythymia Kaloudi
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Anna Kokkevi
- University Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI), Athens, 15601 Greece
| | - Nikolaos Stavrianeas
- Second Department of Dermatology, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
| | - Charalabos Papageorgiou
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece ; University Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI), Athens, 15601 Greece
| | - Athanasios Douzenis
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Athens, 12462 Greece
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Eichhorn S, Brähler E, Franz M, Friedrich M, Glaesmer H. Traumatic experiences, alexithymia, and posttraumatic symptomatology: a cross-sectional population-based study in Germany. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2014; 5:23870. [PMID: 25206956 PMCID: PMC4149745 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v5.23870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies have established an association between number of traumatic experiences and alexithymia. The present study examines this relationship in a large-scale representative sample of the German general population (N=2,507) and explores the potential mediating effects of posttraumatic symptomatology, particularly avoidance/numbing. METHODS Alexithymia was assessed with the German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Posttraumatic symptomatology was operationalized by the symptom score of the modified German version of the Posttraumatic Symptom Scale, and traumatic experiences were assessed with the trauma list of the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Two mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS Of the total sample, 24.2% (n=606) reported at least one traumatic experience, 10.6% (n=258) were classified as alexithymic, and 2.4% (n=59) fulfilled the criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants who had survived five or more traumatic experiences had significantly higher alexithymia sum scores. The PTSD symptom cluster avoidance/numbing mediated the association between the number of traumatic experiences and alexithymia. CONCLUSIONS Our findings illustrate an association between number of traumatic experiences and alexithymia and the influence of emotional avoidance and numbing within this relationship. The significant relationship between alexithymia and number of traumatic experiences in a general population sample further supports the concept of multiple and complex traumatization as associated with alexithymia. The results suggest the importance of further investigations determining the causal impact of alexithymia both as a potential premorbid trait and as consequence of traumatization. Lastly, future investigations are needed to clarify alexithymia as a distinct trauma-relevant characteristic for better diagnostics and specialized trauma-integrative therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Eichhorn
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elmar Brähler
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany ; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Franz
- Clinical Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Friedrich
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heide Glaesmer
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Tempesta D, Mazza M, Serroni N, Moschetta FS, Di Giannantonio M, Ferrara M, De Berardis D. Neuropsychological functioning in young subjects with generalized anxiety disorder with and without pharmacotherapy. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2013; 45:236-41. [PMID: 23796524 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Revised: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuropsychological functioning and the effect of antidepressant drug intake on cognitive performance in a group of relatively young generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients. Forty patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of GAD and 31 healthy subjects participated in the study (Control group, CON). None of the selected subjects had comorbid depression. GAD subjects were divided into two different subgroups: 18 were taking antidepressants [GAD-pharmacotherapy (GAD-p group)] and 22 were treatment-naïve (GAD group). Each group was administered with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery to assess attention, memory and executive functions. Performance on executive and non-verbal memory tasks of both GAD groups was largely worse than the CON group. However, these deficits seem to be more marked in patients taking antidepressants, especially in the domains of attention, non-verbal memory and executive functions. The present study indicates that GAD is associated with cognitive impairments among young adults. However, the observed association of neuropsychological deficits and the use of pharmacotherapy suggest a possible effect of antidepressant treatment on attention, executive functioning and non-verbal memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Tempesta
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
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