The Relationship between Dimensions of Alexithymia and Dissociation

• Published in: Psychotherapy and psychosomatics Vol. 69; no. 3; pp. 128 - 131
• Main Authors: Grabe, H.-J., Rainermann, S., Spitzer, C., Gänsicke, M., Freyberger, H.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.05.2000; Karger
• Subjects: Adult; Affective Symptoms - diagnosis; Affective Symptoms - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Diagnosis, Differential; Dissociative Disorders - diagnosis; Dissociative Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - psychology; Middle Aged; Nosology. Terminology. Diagnostic criteria; Personality Inventory; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regular Article; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Techniques and methods; Pathological dissociation; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Dissociation; Alexithymia; Human; Posttraumatic syndrome; Attitude; Dissociative disorder; Anxiety disorder; Cognition; Emotion emotionality; Personality; Differential diagnostic; Stress; Symptomatology; Concomitant disease; Theoretical model; Criterion; Etiology; Young adult; Adult; Clinical investigation; Severity score; Diagnosis; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0033-3190; 1423-0348
• DOI: 10.1159/000012380

Background: The study investigated the following hypotheses: (1) Alexithymia is significantly associated with dissociation. (2) Pathological versus nonpathological dissociation is associated with alexithymic traits. Methods: Psychiatric in- and outpatients (n = 173) and nonclinical subjects (n = 38) were investigated with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the FDS (German version of Dissociation Experience Scale) and the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R; GSI). Correlation analyses followed by MANOVA and logistic regression were performed. Results: Significant correlations and partial correlations, controlling for GSI, were observed between dissociation and alexithymia. The MANOVA demonstrated significantly higher scores for the two TAS-20 dimensions ‘difficulty identifying feelings’ and ‘difficulty expressing feelings’ in the group with pathological dissociation. On the basis of the TAS-20 subscores, logistic regression analysis correctly classified 72.5% of the cases into the pathological and the nonpathological dissociation group. Conclusions: These results support our hypothesis that pathological traits of dissociation are highly associated with alexithymia. A model is discussed in which alexithymic characteristics may contribute to the development of pathological dissociation and stress-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder.