Alexithymia: relationship to severity of medical illness and depression.
The relationship of depression and the severity of medical illness to alexithymia was investigated in 75 medically ill patients seen in psychiatric consultation. Both depression and living alone predicted alexithymia but severity of medical illness was not related to an individual's alexithymic characteristics measured by the revised Schalling-Sifneos Scale. The implications of the findings are discussed in relationship to previous data regarding alexithymia in a psychiatric consultation population.
Wise
T N
TN
Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
Jani
N N
NN
Kass
E
E
Sonnenschein
K
K
Mann
L S
LS
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012803:Sick Role