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The Concept of Alexithymia

Year 2013, Volume: 5 Issue: 4, 507 - 527, 01.12.2013
https://doi.org/10.5455/cap.20130531

Abstract

The concept of alexithymia, which means "no words for emotions", emerged in order to explain the symptoms of psychosomatic patients and gained a quick recognition among psychiatrists. However, current studies indicate that alexithymia may be a personality trait seen both in different pathological groups and even in healthy population. At this point, many researches have been made in order to distinguish alexithymia from existing constructs and diagnosis, and to remove the questions on reliability and validity of the con-cept and its measurement. Ongoing discussions on alexithymia will be re-viewed in this study. The controversial concept of alexithymia will be exam-ined in terms of characteristics, theoretical background, relationship with the other disorders, measurement and the critique of the measurement and the concept.

References

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  • Bankier B, Aigner M, Bach M. Alexithymia in DSM-IV disorder: comparative evaluation of somatoform disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Psychosomatics 2001; 42:235-240.
  • Zackheim L. Alexithymia: the expanding realm of research. J Psychosom Res 2007; 63:345-347.
  • Ogrodniczuk JS, Piper WE, Joyce AS. Effect of alexithymia on the process and outcome of psychotherapy: a programmatic review. Psychiatry Res 2011; 190:43-48. Tolmunen T, Heliste M, Lehto SM, Hintikka J, Honkalampi K, Kauhanen J. Stability of alexithymia in the general population: an 11-year follow-up. Compr Psychiatry 2011; 52:536-541.
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  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM, Parker JD. The alexithymia construct. a potential paradigm for psychosomatic medicine. Psychosomatics 1991; 32:153–164.
  • Leising D, Grande T, Faber R. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20): a measure of general psychological distress. J Res Pers 2009; 43:707-710.
  • Grabe HJ, Frommer J, Ankerhold A, Ulrich C, Groger R, Franke GH et al. Alexithymia and outcome in psychotherapy. Psychother Psychosom 2008; 77:1891
  • Ahrens S, Deffner G. Empirical study of alexithymia: methodology and results. Am J Psychother 1986; 40:430-447.
  • Ogrodniczuk JS, Piper WE, Joyce AS, Abbass AA. Alexithymia and treatment preferences among psychiatric outpatients. Psychother Psychosom 2009; 78:383-384. Taylor GJ. Recent developments in alexithymia theory and research. Can J Psychiatry 2000; 45:134-142.
  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM, Parker JD. Disorders of Affect Regulation. Alexithymia in Medical and Psychiatric Illness. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  • Dimaggio G, Semerari A, Carcione, A, Nicolo G, Procacci M. Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders: Metacognition, States of Minds and Interpersonal Cycles. London, Routledge, 2007.
  • Lumley MA, Neely LC, Burger AJ. The assessment of alexithymia in medical settings: Implications for understanding and treating health problems. J Pers Assess 2007; 89:230–246.
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  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM. Measurement of alexithymia: recommendations for clinical practice and future research. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1988; 11:351–366.
  • Vanheule S, Verhaeghe P, Desmet M. In search of a framework for the treatment of alexithymia. Psychol Psychother 2011; 84:84-97.
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  • Krystal H. Alexithymia and psychotherapy. Am J Psychother 1979; 33:17-31.
  • Koçak R. Aleksitimi: kuramsal çerçeve, tedavi yaklaşımları ve ilgili araştırmalar. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi 2002; 35(1-2):185-212.
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  • Cox BJ, Swinson RP, Shulman ID, Bourdeau D. Alexithymia in panic disorder and social phobia. Compr Psychiatry 1995; 36:195-198. Miray Şaşıoğlu, Uzm. Psikolog., Psikonet Psikoterapi ve Eğitim Merkezi, İstanbul; Çağla Gülol, Dr. Psikolog, Elan Vital Danışmanlık, İstanbul; Ahmet Tosun, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Okan Üniv. Psikoloji Bölümü, İstanbul. Yazışma Adresi/Correspondence: Miray Şaşıoğlu, Psikonet Psikoterapi ve Eğitim Merkezi, İstanbul, Turkey. E-mail: miraysasioglu@gmail.com Yazarlar bu makale ile ilgili herhangi bir çıkar çatışması bildirmemişlerdir. The authors reported no conflict of interest related to this article. Çevrimiçi adresi / Available online at: www.cappsy.org/archives/vol5/no4/ Çevrimiçi yayım / Published online 30 Aralık/December 30, 2013; doi:10.5455/cap.20130531

Aleksitimi Kavramı

Year 2013, Volume: 5 Issue: 4, 507 - 527, 01.12.2013
https://doi.org/10.5455/cap.20130531

Abstract

"Duygular için söz yokluğu" anlamına gelen ve psikiyatri çevrelerince hızla kabul görmüş bir kavram olan aleksitimi, başlangıçta psikosomatik hastalardaki belirtileri açıklamak için ortaya atılmıştır. Ancak güncel çalışmalar aleksitiminin birçok farklı patolojik grupta ve hatta sağlıklı popülasyonda da karşımı-za çıkan bir kişilik özelliği olabileceğini ortaya koymuştur. Bu noktada aleksi-timi kavramının var olan yapı ve tanılardan ayrılması ve gerek kuramsal gerekse ölçümsel anlamda güvenirlik ve geçerliğine yönelik soru işaretlerinin ortadan kalkması için birçok araştırma yapılmıştır. Bu kuramsal derleme çalışmasında da, kavram üzerinde süre giden tartışmaların günümüzde ne noktada olduğu sorusuna yanıt aranmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, aleksitimi kavramı; özellikleri, kuramsal temelleri, diğer bozukluklarla ilişkisi ve ölçümü boyutlarında incelenmekte; hem ölçüme hem de kavrama yönelik eleştiriler ele alınmıştır

References

  • Lesser EM. A review of the alexithymia concept. Psychosom Med 1981; 43:531-543. Sifneos PE. Alexithymia: past and present. Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:137-142.
  • Bankier B, Aigner M, Bach M. Alexithymia in DSM-IV disorder: comparative evaluation of somatoform disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Psychosomatics 2001; 42:235-240.
  • Zackheim L. Alexithymia: the expanding realm of research. J Psychosom Res 2007; 63:345-347.
  • Ogrodniczuk JS, Piper WE, Joyce AS. Effect of alexithymia on the process and outcome of psychotherapy: a programmatic review. Psychiatry Res 2011; 190:43-48. Tolmunen T, Heliste M, Lehto SM, Hintikka J, Honkalampi K, Kauhanen J. Stability of alexithymia in the general population: an 11-year follow-up. Compr Psychiatry 2011; 52:536-541.
  • Batıgün AD, Büyükşahin A. Aleksitimi: psikolojik belirtiler ve bağlanma stilleri. Klinik Psikiyatri Dergisi 2008; 105-114.
  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM, Parker JD. The alexithymia construct. a potential paradigm for psychosomatic medicine. Psychosomatics 1991; 32:153–164.
  • Leising D, Grande T, Faber R. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20): a measure of general psychological distress. J Res Pers 2009; 43:707-710.
  • Grabe HJ, Frommer J, Ankerhold A, Ulrich C, Groger R, Franke GH et al. Alexithymia and outcome in psychotherapy. Psychother Psychosom 2008; 77:1891
  • Ahrens S, Deffner G. Empirical study of alexithymia: methodology and results. Am J Psychother 1986; 40:430-447.
  • Ogrodniczuk JS, Piper WE, Joyce AS, Abbass AA. Alexithymia and treatment preferences among psychiatric outpatients. Psychother Psychosom 2009; 78:383-384. Taylor GJ. Recent developments in alexithymia theory and research. Can J Psychiatry 2000; 45:134-142.
  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM, Parker JD. Disorders of Affect Regulation. Alexithymia in Medical and Psychiatric Illness. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  • Dimaggio G, Semerari A, Carcione, A, Nicolo G, Procacci M. Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders: Metacognition, States of Minds and Interpersonal Cycles. London, Routledge, 2007.
  • Lumley MA, Neely LC, Burger AJ. The assessment of alexithymia in medical settings: Implications for understanding and treating health problems. J Pers Assess 2007; 89:230–246.
  • Lesser IM. Current concepts in psychiatry. Alexithymia. N Engl J Med 1985; 312:690-692.
  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM. Measurement of alexithymia: recommendations for clinical practice and future research. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1988; 11:351–366.
  • Vanheule S, Verhaeghe P, Desmet M. In search of a framework for the treatment of alexithymia. Psychol Psychother 2011; 84:84-97.
  • Dereboy İF. Aleksitimi özbildirim ölçeklerinin psikometrik özellikleri üzerine bir çalışma (Uzmanlık tezi). Ankara, Hacettepe Üniversitesi 1990.
  • Grynberg D, Luminet O, Corneille O, Grezes J, Berthoz S. Alexithymia in the interpersonal domain: a general deficit of empathy? Pers Individ Diff 2010; 49:8458
  • Dogramji K. Emotional aspects of sleep disorders: the case of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. New Dir Ment Health Serv 1993; 57:39–50.
  • Fitzgerald M, Bellgrove MA. The overlap between alexithymia and Asperger's syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 2006; 36:573–576.
  • Krystal H, Giller EL, Cicchetti DV. Assessment of alexithymia in post-traumatic stress disorder and somatic illness: introduction to a reliable measure. Psychosom Med 1986; 48:84-94.
  • Freyberger H. Supportive psychotherapeutic techniques in primary and secondary alexithymia. Psychother Psychosom 1977; 28:337-342.
  • Larsen JK, Brand N, Bermond B, Hijman R. Cognitive and emotional characteristics of alexithymia: a review of neurobiological studies. J Psychosom Res 2003; 54:5335
  • Hoppe KD, Bogen JE. Alexithymia in twelve commissurotomized patients. Psychother Psychosom 1977; 28:148-155.
  • Lane RD, Ahern GL, Schwartz GE, Kaszniak AW. Is alexithymia the emotional equivalent of blindsight? Biol Psychiatry 1997; 42:834–844.
  • Taylor GJ. Alexithymia concept, measurement and implications for treatment. Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:725-732.
  • Burgess C, Simpson GB. Cerebral hemispheric mechanisms in the retrieval of ambiguous word meanings. Brain Lang 1988; 33:86-103.
  • Damasio AR. Aphasia. N Engl J Med 1992; 326:531–539.
  • Moriguchi Y, Ohnishi T, Lane RD, Maeda M, Mori T, Nemoto K et al. Impaired self-awareness and theory of mind: an fMRI study of mentalizing in alexithymia. NeuroImage 2006; 32:1472–1482.
  • Tychey C, Garnier S, Lighezzollo-Alnot J, Claudon P, Rebourg-Roesler C. An accumulation of negative life events and the construction of alexithymia: a longitudinal and clinical approach. J Pers Assess 2010; 92:189-206.
  • Helmes E, McNeill PD, Holden RR, Jackson C. The construct of alexithymia: associations with defense mechanisms. J Clin Psychol 2008: 64:318-331.
  • McDougall J. Alexithymia: a psychoanalytic viewpoint, Psychother Psychosom 1982; 38:81-90.
  • Von Rad M. Alexithymia and symptom formation. Psychother Psychosom 1984; 42:80-89.
  • Krystal H. Alexithymia and psychotherapy. Am J Psychother 1979; 33:17-31.
  • Koçak R. Aleksitimi: kuramsal çerçeve, tedavi yaklaşımları ve ilgili araştırmalar. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi 2002; 35(1-2):185-212.
  • Pennebaker JW. Confession ınhibition and disease. Adv Exp Soc Psychol 1989; 22:211-244.
  • Lazarus RS. Thoughts on the relation between emotion and cognition. Am Psychol 1982; 37:1019-1024.
  • Martin BJ, Pihl OR. Influence of alexithymia characteristics on psychological and subjective stress responses ın normal ındividuals. Psychother Psychosom 1986; 45:66
  • Thorberg FA, Young R, Sullivan KA, Lyvers M. Alexithymia and alcohol use disorders: a critical review. Addict Behav 2009; 34:237-245.
  • Kauhanen J, Kaplan GA, Julkunen J, Wilson TW, Salonen JT. Social factors in alexithymia. Compr Psychiatry 1993; 34:1-5.
  • Taylor GJ, Bagby RM. New trends in alexithymia research. Psychother Psychosomatics 2004; 73:68-77.
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  • Cox BJ, Swinson RP, Shulman ID, Bourdeau D. Alexithymia in panic disorder and social phobia. Compr Psychiatry 1995; 36:195-198. Miray Şaşıoğlu, Uzm. Psikolog., Psikonet Psikoterapi ve Eğitim Merkezi, İstanbul; Çağla Gülol, Dr. Psikolog, Elan Vital Danışmanlık, İstanbul; Ahmet Tosun, Yrd. Doç. Dr., Okan Üniv. Psikoloji Bölümü, İstanbul. Yazışma Adresi/Correspondence: Miray Şaşıoğlu, Psikonet Psikoterapi ve Eğitim Merkezi, İstanbul, Turkey. E-mail: miraysasioglu@gmail.com Yazarlar bu makale ile ilgili herhangi bir çıkar çatışması bildirmemişlerdir. The authors reported no conflict of interest related to this article. Çevrimiçi adresi / Available online at: www.cappsy.org/archives/vol5/no4/ Çevrimiçi yayım / Published online 30 Aralık/December 30, 2013; doi:10.5455/cap.20130531
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Details

Primary Language Turkish
Journal Section Review
Authors

Miray Şaşıoğlu This is me

Çağla Gülol This is me

Ahmet Tosun This is me

Publication Date December 1, 2013
Published in Issue Year 2013 Volume: 5 Issue: 4

Cite

AMA Şaşıoğlu M, Gülol Ç, Tosun A. Aleksitimi Kavramı. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry. December 2013;5(4):507-527. doi:10.5455/cap.20130531

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