title: Traditional Chinese medicinal herbal tea consumption, self-reported somatization, and alexithymia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Somatic presentations of distress are common cross-culturally, although perhaps more so in Asian cultures. Somatic presentations of distress may be associated with alexithymia, a difficulty in experiencing and expressing emotions. Although the constructs of somatization and alexithymia have been examined in depth both within and across cultures, there is minimal information on culture-specific behaviors utilized to cope with stress in individuals who tend to somaticize distress or are alexithymic. The current report investigates the association between somatization and alexithymia, and a culture-specific behavior of traditional Chinese medicinal herbal tea consumption, in a nonclinical, young adult sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 222 undergraduate university students of Chinese ethnicity completed self-report measures of somatization and the related construct of somatosensory amplification, alexithymia, and attitude toward the consumption of herbal tea possessing traditional Chinese medicinal value.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for gender, alexithymia was significantly correlated with somatization (r[220] = 0.29, P < 0.05) and somatosensory amplification (r[220] = 0.19, P < 0.05). Attitudes toward herbal tea consumption were significantly correlated with somatosensory amplification (r[220] = 0.16, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The connection between alexithymia and somatization was confirmed in the current report in a nonclinical sample. A culture-specific behavior (consumption of traditional Chinese medicinal herbal tea) was significantly associated with somatosensory amplification. Potential etiologies and implications of the current findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
authors.forename: Pit Hoi
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chio
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Zaroff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D057566:Self Report; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000069459:Teas, Herbal; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000069459:Teas, Herbal
keywords: China; alexithymia; coping skill; somatization disorder; traditional Chinese medicine