The TAS-20 more likely measures negative affects rather than alexithymia itself in patients with major depression, panic disorder, eating disorders and substance use disorders.
BACKGROUND
This study evaluates whether the difference in Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 item (TAS-20) between patients with major depression (MD), panic disorder (PD), eating disorders (ED), and substance use disorders (SUD) and healthy controls persisted after controlling for the severity of anxiety and depression.


METHODS
Thirty-eight patients with MD, 58 with PD, 52 with ED, and 30 with SUD and 78 healthy controls (C) completed the TAS-20, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (Ham-A), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D).


RESULTS
The differences in TAS-20 scores observed between patient groups, regardless of the type of their disorders, and controls disappeared after controlling for the effect of anxiety and depression severity. In contrast, the differences in severity of anxiety and depression between patients and controls were still present, after excluding the effect of alexithymic levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that alexithymic levels, as measured by the TAS-20, are modulated by the severity of symptoms, supporting the view that alexithymia can represent a state phenomenon in patients with MD, PD, ED and SUD, because the TAS-20 seems overly sensitive to a general distress syndrome, and it is more likely to measure negative affects rather than alexithymia itself.
Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Mental Health Department, AUSL, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: carlo.marchesi@unipr.it.
Carlo
C
Marchesi
Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Paolo
P
Ossola
Mental Health Department, AUSL, Parma, Italy.
Matteo
M
Tonna
Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Mental Health Department, AUSL, Parma, Italy.
Chiara
C
De Panfilis
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D063189:Symptom Assessment; D055815:Young Adult