title: Alexithymia--state or trait? One-year follow-up study of general hospital psychiatric consultation out-patients.
abstract: We carried out a 1-year follow-up study on 54 out of 80 general hospital psychiatric consultation out-patients. Alexithymic features were measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and self-reported psychological distress with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Men were more alexithymic and distressed than women both at the baseline and at the follow-up evaluations. The degree of alexithymia in both genders remained consistent, whereas psychological distress decreased significantly in both genders during the follow-up period. Therefore we conclude that alexithymia presents a constant trait in psychiatric consultation out-patients.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Research Centre of the Social Insurance Institution, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saarijärvi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aäirelä
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamminen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D017668:Age of Onset; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012737:Sex Factors