title: Relationship between alexithymia and coping strategies in patients with somatoform disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A multidimensional intervention integrating alexithymia, negative affect, and type of coping strategy is needed for the effective treatment of somatoform disorder; however, few studies have applied this approach to the three different dimensions of alexithymia in patients with somatoform disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between type of coping strategy and three different dimensions of alexithymia expressed in patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 196 patients with somatoform disorder completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Somatosensory Amplification Scale, and the Lazarus Stress Coping Inventory. The relationships between alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale - 20 score and subscales), demographic variables, and psychological inventory scores were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean Toronto Alexithymia Scale - 20 total score (56.1±10.57) was positively correlated with the number of physical symptoms as well as with psychopathology scores (Self-Rating Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory trait, state, and Somatosensory Amplification Scale), but negatively correlated with planful problem solving, confrontive coping, seeking social support, and positive reappraisal coping scores. With respect to coping strategy, multiple regression analyses revealed that "difficulty in identifying feelings" was positively associated with an escape-avoidance strategy, "difficulty in describing feelings" was negatively associated with a seeking social support strategy, and "externally oriented thinking" was negatively associated with a confrontive coping strategy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymia was strongly associated with the number of somatic symptoms and negative affect. Patients with high "difficulty in describing feelings" tend to rely less on seeking social support, and patients with high "externally oriented thinking" tend to rely less on confrontive coping strategies. The coping skills intervention implemented should differ across individuals and should be based on the alexithymia dimension of each patient.
authors.affiliation: Health Management Doctor's Office (Mental Health), Salary, Personnel Health, and Welfare Division, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan ; Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Iwakura Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hyungin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry (Psychosomatic Medicine), Kyoto First Red Cross Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukui
keywords: alexithymia; coping strategies; somatoform disorder; stress