title: The level of alexithymia in alcohol-dependent patients does not influence outcomes after inpatient treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The inability of individuals with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) to recognize and describe their feelings and cravings may be due to alexithymia. Previous researches have shown evidence for a negative influence of alexithymia on treatment outcomes in patients with AUD. Therefore, it was hypothesized that high alexithymic patients with AUD would benefit less from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) compared with low alexithymic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred alcohol-dependent inpatients (DSM IV) were assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for psychiatric disorders, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). Baseline alexithymia, as a categorical and continuous variable, was used to compare or relate baseline demographic and addiction characteristics, time in treatment, abstinence, and differences in addiction severity at 1-year follow-up. Analyses were performed using χ(2) test, analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis, paired t-tests or Wilcoxon's signed rank tests, multivariate logistic, and linear regression models, as appropriate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of high alexithymia (TAS-20 > 61) was 45%. The total TAS-20 score correlated negatively with years of education (r = -.21; p = .04) and positively with the psychiatry domain of the EuropASI (r = .23; p = .04). Alexithymia showed no relation to abstinence, time in treatment, or change in severity of alcohol-related problems on the EuropASI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High alexithymic patients with AUD do benefit equally from inpatient CBT-like treatment as low alexithymic patients with AUD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multimethod alexithymia assessments with an observer scale have been advised to judge the relationship with resulting outcome in CBT.
authors.affiliation: Tactus Addiction Treatment, Deventer, The Netherlands. h.dehaan@tactus.nl
authors.forename: Hein A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: Arnt F A
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Schellekens
authors.forename: Job
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Palen
authors.forename: Robbert-Jan
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Verkes
authors.forename: Jan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Buitelaar
authors.forename: Cor A J
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: De Jong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004522:Educational Status; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D013695:Temperance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome