An evaluation of the absolute and relative stability of alexithymia over 11years in a Finnish general population.
Date
2017
Type:
Artículo
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7
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ORCID:
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We investigated if alexithymia, a personality construct with difficulties in emotional
processing, is stable in the general population.
METHODS: Altogether 3083 unselected subjects aged 30 and older in Finland completed the 20-
item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in the longitudinal Health 2000 and Health 2011 general
population surveys (BRIF8901). The stability of alexithymia at the 11-year follow-up was assessed
with t-tests, correlations, and separate linear regression models with base-line and follow-up age,
gender, marital status, education, and 12-month depressive and anxiety disorders as confounders.
RESULTS: The mean score (SD) of the TAS-20 for the whole sample was 44.2 (10.4) in 2000 and 44.2
(10.9) in 2011 (p=0.731). The mean score of the TAS-20 subscale Difficulty Identifying Feelings
increased by 0.3 points, Difficulty Describing Feelings decreased by 0.6 points and Externally
Oriented Thinking increased by 0.3 points. The effect sizes of the changes varied from negligible to
small. Age had little effect except for the group of the oldest subjects (75-97years): the TAS-20 mean
(SD) score was 49.1 (10.1) in 2000 and 53.1 (10.3) in 2011 (p<0.001), the effect size for the increase
was medium. TAS-20 score in 2000 explained a significant proportion of variance in TAS-20 score in
2011. Controlling for all baseline confounders improved the model incrementally; the same applied
to controlling for confounders at follow-up. Baseline depression or anxiety disorders were not
associated with the TAS-20 scores in 2011, whereas current diagnoses were.
CONCLUSIONS: According to our large longitudinal study both the absolute and relative stability of
alexithymia assessed with the TAS-20 are high in the adult general population.
Description
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Citation
J Psychosom Res. 2017 Apr;95:81-87
Keywords
Alexithymia, Anxiety disorders, Depressive disorders, General population, Longitudinal study, Stability