Is alexithymia related to cannabis use disorder? Results from a case-control study in outpatient adolescent cannabis abusers.
In recent decades, alexithymia has been considered a risk factor for multiple somatic and psychiatric conditions. Yet, whereas alexithymia has been extensively studied in adults with a substance misuse, only one study has reported data on cannabis abusers from the general population. Hence, our main objective was to explore alexithymia in a clinical sample of treatment-seeking young outpatients with a DSM-IV cannabis dependence or abuse diagnosis compared to controls.



120 young patients (95 males - mean age 17.9years (SD=2.8; 14 to 25)) with a cannabis dependence or abuse (DSM-IV-TR criteria evaluated with the MINI), seeking treatment in an addiction unit, and 110 healthy control subjects (77 males - mean age 18.2years (SD=3.4; 14 to 25)) participated in the study. They completed a battery of self-reports measuring alexithymia (TAS-20; BVAQ-B), depression (BDI-13) and state and trait anxiety (STAI).



35.3% of cannabis users were alexithymic, and logistic regression analysis showed that the alexithymic components of difficulties identifying and describing feelings combined with trait anxiety predicted group membership.



This first study on young cannabis abusers and dependent subjects further emphasizes the importance of considering the affective style, and particularly the anxious temperament and alexithymia features, as factors associated with substance misuse during late adolescence.
Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé EA 4057, Institut Universitaire Paris Descartes de Psychologie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 71 avenue Édouard Vaillant, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Electronic address: geraldine.dorard@parisdescartes.fr.
Géraldine
G
Dorard
Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé EA 4057, Institut Universitaire Paris Descartes de Psychologie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 71 avenue Édouard Vaillant, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Electronic address: catherine.bungener@parisdescartes.fr.
Catherine
C
Bungener
Clinique Dupré, FSEF, 30 avenue Franklin Roosevelt, BP 101, 92333 Sceaux cedex, France; CJC Pierre Nicole, Croix-Rouge Française, 27 rue Pierre Nicole, 75005 Paris, France; CESP, Université Paris-Sud, Cochin-Maison des Adolescents, 97 Boulevard Port Royal, 75014 Paris, France.. Electronic address: odtphan@noos.fr.
Olivier
O
Phan
Equipe d'addictologie hospitalière de liaison et de soins (ELSA), Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47-83 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France. Electronic address: edel.ecimud@psl.aphp.fr.
Yves
Y
Edel
Département de psychiatrie de l'adolescent et du jeune adulte, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 42 Bd Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: maurice.corcos@imm.fr.
Maurice
M
Corcos
CESP, Université Paris-Sud, Cochin-Maison des Adolescents, 97 Boulevard Port Royal, 75014 Paris, France.; Département de psychiatrie de l'adolescent et du jeune adulte, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 42 Bd Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: sylvie.berthoz-landron@inserm.fr.
Sylvie
S
Berthoz
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Abuse; Adolescence; Alexithymia; Cannabis; Dependence; Negative affectivity; Youth