Alexithymic characteristics in rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled study.

Forty rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients diagnosed by rigid criteria were evaluated for alexithymic characteristics using the Beth Israel Hospital Psychosomatic Questionnaire (BIQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). 40 healthy subjects matched with RA patients on sociodemographic variables served as controls. RA patients scored significantly higher on the BIQ and TAS compared to controls. The two scales correlated in the expected direction. Using the TAS cutoff score of 74 and above, 11 RA patients (27.5%) were identified as alexithymic. RA patients with greater functional impairment showed significantly higher alexithymia scores.