Carlo Marchesi1, Paolo Ossola2, Matteo Tonna3, Chiara De Panfilis4. 1. Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Mental Health Department, AUSL, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: carlo.marchesi@unipr.it. 2. Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. 3. Mental Health Department, AUSL, Parma, Italy. 4. Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Mental Health Department, AUSL, Parma, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study evaluates whether the difference in Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 item (TAS-20) between patients with major depression (MD), panic disorder (PD), eating disorders (ED), and substance use disorders (SUD) and healthy controls persisted after controlling for the severity of anxiety and depression. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with MD, 58 with PD, 52 with ED, and 30 with SUD and 78 healthy controls (C) completed the TAS-20, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (Ham-A), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D). RESULTS: The differences in TAS-20 scores observed between patient groups, regardless of the type of their disorders, and controls disappeared after controlling for the effect of anxiety and depression severity. In contrast, the differences in severity of anxiety and depression between patients and controls were still present, after excluding the effect of alexithymic levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that alexithymic levels, as measured by the TAS-20, are modulated by the severity of symptoms, supporting the view that alexithymia can represent a state phenomenon in patients with MD, PD, ED and SUD, because the TAS-20 seems overly sensitive to a general distress syndrome, and it is more likely to measure negative affects rather than alexithymia itself.
BACKGROUND: This study evaluates whether the difference in Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 item (TAS-20) between patients with major depression (MD), panic disorder (PD), eating disorders (ED), and substance use disorders (SUD) and healthy controls persisted after controlling for the severity of anxiety and depression. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with MD, 58 with PD, 52 with ED, and 30 with SUD and 78 healthy controls (C) completed the TAS-20, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (Ham-A), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D). RESULTS: The differences in TAS-20 scores observed between patient groups, regardless of the type of their disorders, and controls disappeared after controlling for the effect of anxiety and depression severity. In contrast, the differences in severity of anxiety and depression between patients and controls were still present, after excluding the effect of alexithymic levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that alexithymic levels, as measured by the TAS-20, are modulated by the severity of symptoms, supporting the view that alexithymia can represent a state phenomenon in patients with MD, PD, ED and SUD, because the TAS-20 seems overly sensitive to a general distress syndrome, and it is more likely to measure negative affects rather than alexithymia itself.
Authors: David R Kolar; Michael Huss; Hanna M Preuss; Ekkehart Jenetzky; Ann F Haynos; Arne Bürger; Florian Hammerle Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2017-06-23 Impact factor: 3.222
Authors: Elke Veirman; Dimitri M L Van Ryckeghem; Gregory Verleysen; Annick L De Paepe; Geert Crombez Journal: PeerJ Date: 2021-06-29 Impact factor: 2.984