Relationship between alexithymia and panic disorder: a longitudinal study to answer an open question

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Panic disorder (PD) is a condition characterized by recurrent panic attacks.
• Alexithymia, a personality trait involving difficulty identifying and describing feelings, has been anecdotally linked to PD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether patients with panic disorder (PD) in complete remission exhibit higher levels of alexithymia compared to healthy controls.
• To explore the relationship between anxiety symptoms and alexithymia dimensions in remitted PD patients.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-two PD patients (acute phase and in remission) and 52 matched controls completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety (Ham-A) and Depression.
• Statistical analyses were performed to compare groups and assess relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Alexithymia rates were significantly higher in PD patients (44.2% acute, 21.2% remission) than controls (3.8%).
• Remitted PD patients showed higher Ham-A scores and an elevated 'difficulty in identifying feeling' (DIF) dimension of alexithymia.
• A positive correlation was observed between anxiety scores (Ham-A) and DIF levels in remitted PD patients.

Conclusions:

• Even after remission, PD patients exhibit higher levels of alexithymia and anxiety compared to controls.
• The 'difficulty in identifying feeling' (DIF) dimension of alexithymia may overlap with cognitive aspects of PD.
• The positive relationship between anxiety and DIF suggests a potential shared underlying mechanism in panic disorder.