title: [External validity, reliability and basic score determination of the Toronto Alexithymia Scales (TAS and TAS-20) in a group of alcoholic patients].
abstract: The criterion validity of the Toronto Alexithymia Scales (TAS and TAS-20) was assessed by administering the scales to 47 alcoholic inpatients. The 47 subjects were inpatients meeting the Research Diagnostic Criteria for alcoholism. The subjects were assessed by two raters using the Beth Israël Questionnaire in the first week following their hospitalization. They filled out the TAS and one week later the TAS-20. Among the 47 alcoholics, 31 were alexithymic and 16 were non-alexithymic. The TAS and the TAS-20 scores of the alexithymics were significantly higher than that of the non alexithymics. The mean (sd) of the TAS in the alexithymics and the non alexithymics were respectively (m = 76.13, sd = 9.56; m = 64.2, sd = 13.88; t = 3.38, df = 45, p = 0.0015). The mean (sd) of the TAS-20 in the alexithymics and the non alexithymics were respectively (m = 54.1, sd = 8.81; m = 43.18, sd = 11.5; t = 3.62, df = 45, p = 0.0007). The one-week test-retest was r = 0.17, p < 0.001. On the basis of these findings, TAS and TAS-20 cutoff scores were suggested. A range of potential cutoff scores around the mean TAS or TAS-20 score were tested using four methods to assess the goodness of a diagnostic test (sensitivity, specificity, Younden's coefficient, positive predictive value). The best scores that maximizes the diagnostic validity of the TAS and TAS-20 in identifying alexithymic subjects were respectively 73 and 56. On the basis of the mean TAS and TAS-20 score for the non alexithymic group and the means that we have obtained with normal groups, scores of 64 and 44 were respectively selected as the cutoff level for the identification of non alexithymic subjects.
authors.affiliation: Secteur Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie Adulte, Hôpital Pinel, Amiens.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loas
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Otmani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fremaux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lecercle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duflot
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delahousse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
vernacular_title: Etude de la validité externe, de la fidélité et détermination des notes seuils des échelles d'alexithymie de Toronto (TAS et TAS-20) chez un groupe de malades alcooliques.