Factorial structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: confirmatory factorial analyses in nonclinical and clinical samples.
OBJECTIVE
The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) measures three intercorrelated dimensions of alexithymia: (1) difficulties identifying feelings (DIF), (2) difficulties describing feelings (DDF), and (3) externally oriented thinking (EOT). The aim of the study was to test the three-factor model of the TAS-20 using confirmatory factorial analyses (CFA).


METHODS
769 healthy subjects and 659 patients meeting the DSM-IV criteria for substance use disorders or eating disorders completed the TAS-20. The correlation matrices for each of the samples were analyzed with LISREL 7.16.


RESULTS
In each sample, the three-factor model was found to be replicable.


CONCLUSIONS
The three TAS-20 subcales can be used to explore the distinct facets of the alexithymia construct.
Loas
G
G
University Department of Psychiatry of Amiens, Amiens, France. gloas@francenet.fr
Corcos
M
M
Stephan
P
P
Pellet
J
J
Bizouard
P
P
Venisse
J L
JL
Perez-Diaz
F
F
Guelfi
J D
JD
Jeammet
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology