title: Alexithymic features do not predict compliance with psychotherapy in consultation-liaison patients.
abstract: A 1-year follow-up study on 54 general hospital psychiatric consultation outpatients was carried out in order to determine whether alexithymic features, measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) are predictive of psychotherapy recommendations and whether alexithymia is associated with patients' compliance with these recommendations. Contrary to what we expected, the presence of alexithymic features predicted neither treatment recommendations nor compliance. Psychological distress as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) proved to be a better predictor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aärelä
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saarijärvi
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toikka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011379:Prognosis; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation