Alexithymic characteristics of HIV-positive patients.

Despite extensive psychiatric research on HIV-positive patients, there are no published studies on alexithymia. Alexithymic characteristics and related factors were examined in a sample of 81 HIV-positive patients using the modified Beth Israel Psychosomatic Questionnaire and the Social Support of Stress and Coping Inventory. The severity of alexithymia was significantly higher in HIV patients than healthy controls, suggesting the presence of secondary alexithymia. Scores on two alexithymic characteristics, affect awareness and operational thinking, significantly correlated with ratings of poor utilization and perception of social support. As the severity of HIV infection progressed, affect awareness was higher, controlling for poor utilization and perception of social support. These results suggest that secondary alexithymia, associated with poor utilization and perception of social support, may be manifest as a state reaction to approaching death.