title: Alexithymia and health-related quality of life in a general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alexithymia is thought to reflect a deficit in the cognitive processing of emotion, and, therefore, it may predispose individuals to both psychological and somatic symptoms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors investigated the relationship between alexithymia and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a nationally representative population sample of 5,418 subjects, age 30 to 97 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alexithymia was measured with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and HRQoL measured with the 15D, a generic HRQoL measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alexithymia was significantly associated with lower HRQoL independently of other variables. The TAS-20 subfactor Difficulties Identifying Feelings was the strongest common denominator between alexithymia and HRQoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymia may be a predisposing factor to poorer HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Tampere School of Public Health, FIN-33014, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. aino.mattila@uta.fi
authors.forename: Aino K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Samuli I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Saarni
authors.forename: Jouko K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Heini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huhtala
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sintonen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joukamaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012042:Registries