Alexithymia: examining the development of a psychological concept.

Alexithymia is a clinically derived concept that refers to difficulty patients have with verbal expression of emotions and with fantasy elaborations. Since its recent introduction into the literature, it has been discussed in various contexts and has been considered by some to be a useful concept in integrating data from a variety of disciplines. The authors contend that many of the speculations about alexithymia are based on an inadequately researched data base and that its application in some areas is premature. They recommend careful investigation of any newly introduced psychological concept to avoid either its premature rejection or its reification.