The relationship between alexithymia, depression, and sleep complaints.
The study assessed in normal subjects the hypothesis of a specific association between alexithymia and poor sleep quality, taking into consideration the contribution of depression. Five hundred fifty-four university students (480 F and 74 M) filled out the Italian version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). TAS-20 scores were significantly correlated with many measures of self-rated poor sleep quality and also strongly correlated with depression scores. Any association between alexithymia and sleep complaints disappears when the contribution of depression is partialled out by multiple regressions, and only the well-known relationship between depression and impairment of sleep quality is confirmed.
De Gennaro
Luigi
L
Department of Psychology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185 Rome, Italy. luigi.degennaro@uniroma1.it
Martina
Mariangela
M
Curcio
Giuseppe
G
Ferrara
Michele
M
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology