Alexithymia in the elderly general population.

Alexithymia was investigated in a random population sample of 566 people over 60 years of age (average, 69.73 years; range, 61 to 95 years) with the help of a German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26), and the results were compared with those from a group of 1,481 people under 60 years of age (average, 38.86 years; range, 14 to 60 years). The average alexithymia values in the elderly were not significantly higher than those of the younger subjects under 60 years of age. A total of 15.2% of the elderly and 18% of the younger group registered more than 1 SD over the mean value of all those sampled. This difference is also not statistically significant. Levels of alexithymia were not associated with age, gender, or education in the over-60 groups. The alexithymia scales "difficulties with identifying feelings" and "difficulties with describing feelings" correlated significantly with negative mood and negative body experience. These results confirm the assumption that there is a connection between alexithymia and depression, and correspond to the findings of other studies, that alexithymia is associated with a tendency to psychosomatic illness. Copyright 2002 by W.B. Saunders Company