How Are Depression And The Inability To Express Emotions Related?

Previous research on alexithymia (the inability to express emotions)and depression has led to a controversy over whether alexithymia should be viewed as a state-dependent phenomenon or as a stable personality trait.


The aim of a 5-year follow-up study published in the 2006 March issue of Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, was to examine the temporal stability of alexithymia in outpatients suffering from major depression. The study population comprised 116 (49 male and 67 female) outpatients with major depression. Alexithymic features were assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the degree of depression with the Beck Depression Inventory. The patients were retested after a period of 5 years. Mean alexithymia and depression scores decreased significantly over the 5-year period.


Alexithymia and depression were associated with each other, but the high test-retest correlations in the TAS-20 scores indicate relative stability of alexithymia. The three factors of alexithymia behaved differently. Difficulty in identifying feelings and difficulty in describing feelings were associated with alleviation of depressive symptoms, whereas externally oriented thinking was not. Alexithymia seems to be related with the severity of depression in outpatients with major depression, but it also shows relative stability over 5 years. These findings support the view that the alexithymia construct represents a stable personality trait, but is also a state-dependent phenomenon.


karger


JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS


The International Federation for Psychotherapy (IFP) is an organization of national, regional, and school-oriented psychotherapy societies. Its goals are to facilitate and promote international communication among the various schools, professional groups and cultures within psychotherapy. The IFP organizes international congresses and conferences on psychotherapy. The IFP promotes the development of psychotherapy in practice, teaching and research and encourages and supports appropriate standards in the practice of psychotherapy. "Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics" is the official journal of the IFP. IFP, Culmannstrasse 8, CH-8091 Zurich.


JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS