Citation

Joukamaa M, Luutonen S, von Reventlow HG, Patterson P, Karlsson H, Salokangas RK. Psychosomatics 2008; 49(4): 317-325.

Affiliation

Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finaland. matti.joukamaa@uta.fi

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1176/appi.psy.49.4.317

PMID

18621937

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Some authors have suggested that the background of alexithymia is related to affective development during early childhood. OBJECTIVE: Authors studied the associations between alexithymia and childhood emotional neglect and sexual and physical abuse, also taking into account the significance of concomitant psychopathology. METHOD: Associations between childhood difficulties and adulthood alexithymia were studied with samples of primary-care (N=1,033) and mental-health center (N=243) outpatients assessed by The Toronto Alexithymia Scale and questionnaires for depressive, manic, and psychotic symptoms, and childhood difficulties. RESULTS: No association between alexithymia and childhood abuse was found in mental-health center patients. Among primary-care patients, alexithymia total score and difficulty in identifying feelings and difficulty in describing feelings were associated with childhood emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. CONCLUSION: After controlling for psychopathology, there still remained an association with difficulty in identifying feelings and most abuse and neglect variables. These findings serve to strengthen the theory of alexithymia as a developmental process starting in childhood.

Language: en