Are alexithymia and depression distinct or overlapping constructs?: a study in a general population.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and depression in a general population sample (N = 1,888), as measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21), using factor analysis. The items of the TAS-20 and the BDI-21 loaded on separate factors with only a minor overlap concerning physical worries. However, in a subset of subjects, who were both alexithymic and depressed, loadings were highly overlapping. These findings suggest that alexithymia and depression may be highly associated. Another conclusion might be that psychometric properties of the TAS should be further developed to make differentiation between alexithymia and depression possible. Copyright 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company