Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Two facets of being bothered by bodily sensations: anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia in psychosomatic patients
Jochen Mueller1, Georg W Alpers
1Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany. j.mueller@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de
Objective:
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) and alexithymia have common characteristics with regard to somatic sensations. The purpose of the present study is to investigate if both constructs are distinct or overlapping in a sample of psychosomatic inpatients.
Methods:
We analyzed the alexithymia scores of extreme groups who are high and low in AS and the correlations between both constructs in 204 patients.
Results:
As predicted, groups with high and low AS differed significantly in their Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores. The correlations between the Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the TAS-20 were moderately high and were not significantly reduced if conceptually redundant items were removed from the TAS-20. A common factor analysis of the combined items of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the TAS-20 yielded no item overlap between the extracted factors of both measures.
Conclusion:
Results suggest that AS and alexithymia are related, but they are also distinct constructs. Therefore, it is important to assess AS and alexithymia separately.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
01:18Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, is a...
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
01:23Irritable Bowel Syndrome
01:17Irritable Bowel Syndrome I: Introduction
IBS is a chronic condition that can persist over a long period or recur frequently.
The pathogenesis of IBS involves a complex interplay of the following factors:
Altered...