Alexithymia and emotional distress in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.
The authors studied 31 consecutive patients newly diagnosed with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) as compared with 31 age- and gender-matched control subjects, assessing emotional distress (ED), nine psychopathological symptoms, critical life events, and alexithymia. Results showed no difference in the number of critical life events; however CSC patients showed elevated ED and elevated scores on seven psychopathological symptoms, including hostility. Controlling for ED, CSC patients showed elevated alexithymia sum scores. Alexithymia was correlated with hostility. Our findings point to personality-based difficulties in emotional regulation associated with hostility in CSC.
Conrad
Rupert
R
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Str 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany. Rupert.Conrad@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Weber
Nina Friederike
NF
Lehnert
Matthias
M
Holz
Frank Gerhard
FG
Liedtke
Reinhard
R
Eter
Nicole
N
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires