Alexithymia in the elderly general population

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 74 - 80
• Main Authors: Gunzelmann, Thomas, Kupfer, J[ouml ]rg, Br[auml ]hler, Elmar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.01.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Affect; Affective Symptoms - diagnosis; Affective Symptoms - epidemiology; Affective Symptoms - psychology; Aged; Aging - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Depression - psychology; Female; Geriatrics; Germany - epidemiology; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychophysiologic Disorders - psychology; Sampling Studies; Europe; Germany; Human; Mood disorder; Social environment; Senescence; Prevalence; Education level; Alexithymia; Mental health; Sex; Somatic complaint; Depression; Personality; Economic status; Professional status; Marital status; Sociodemographic factor; Body experience; Risk factor; Somatoform disorder; Elderly; Age; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1053/comp.2002.29855

Alexithymia was investigated in a random population sample of 566 people over 60 years of age (average, 69.73 years; range, 61 to 95 years) with the help of a German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26), and the results were compared with those from a group of 1,481 people under 60 years of age (average, 38.86 years; range, 14 to 60 years). The average alexithymia values in the elderly were not significantly higher than those of the younger subjects under 60 years of age. A total of 15.2% of the elderly and 18% of the younger group registered more than 1 SD over the mean value of all those sampled. This difference is also not statistically significant. Levels of alexithymia were not associated with age, gender, or education in the over-60 groups. The alexithymia scales [ldquo ]difficulties with identifying feelings[rdquo ] and [ldquo ]difficulties with describing feelings[rdquo ] correlated significantly with negative mood and negative body experience. These results confirm the assumption that there is a connection between alexithymia and depression, and correspond to the findings of other studies, that alexithymia is associated with a tendency to psychosomatic illness.