title: Do stressful life-events or sociodemographic variables associate with depression and alexithymia among a general population?--A 3-year follow-up study.
abstract: This 3-year follow-up study examined background factors, stressful life-events, and changes in alexithymia and depression scores in four groups of subjects from a general population (N = 1,339): alexithymic (A), depressed (D), simultaneously alexithymic/depressed (AD), and non-alexithymic/non-depressed (O). Alexithymia was assessed using the 20-item version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) and depression using the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A questionnaire screening sociodemography and stressful life-events was also used. The results showed that alexithymia was associated with male gender and blue-collar working, whereas depressive symptoms associated with female gender, older age, poor subjective health, poor financial situation, and low life satisfaction. During the follow-up the sum of stressful life-events was higher among groups AD and D than in groups A and O. The most common stressful life-events were the death of a close relative or friend, a negative change in the health of a family member, and financial problems. The TAS scores decreased only in groups A and AD. The BDI scores decreased in group AD but remained relatively unchanged in group D. Interestingly, if only those without depressive symptoms are considered, alexithymia appears to be a rarer phenomenon than has been reported previously. Furthermore, it seems that depressive symptoms were chronic and long-lasting among the general population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Research and Development Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honkalampi
authors.forename: Heli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koivumaa-Honkanen
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hintikka
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antikainen
authors.forename: Kaisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haatainen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanskanen
authors.forename: Heimo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Viinamäki
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003710:Demography; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires