title: The Relationship between Alexithymia and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Anorexia Nervosa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) are relevant factors in social and emotional processing abilities in anorexia nervosa (AN) eventually rendering emotional coping difficult. However, the link potentially existing in AN between IU and alexithymia has been so far understudied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one patients affected by AN and 59 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled and assessed for study purposes. All participants completed the following self-report questionnaires: Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IU and alexithymia were greater in patients with AN when compared to HC. Moreover, in both AN and HC groups, IU and alexithymia significantly correlated with each other as well as with anxiety (STAI score) and depression (BDI score). No correlations were found between alexithymia and age. Patients' duration of illness was negatively correlated with two alexithymia subscales. After adjusting for anxiety, depression, body mass index and duration of illness (for AN), the correlation between IU and alexithymia remained significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to confirming previous findings on marked levels of IU and alexithymia in AN, this study showed for the first time a correlation between IU and alexithymia in both AN and HC. Moreover, this result remained significant after controlling for a number of clinical variables. Taken together, these findings may have useful clinical implications for the treatment of AN sufferers. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abbate-Daga
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marzola
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amianto
authors.forename: Secondo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fassino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D013997:Time Factors; D035501:Uncertainty; D055815:Young Adult