Alexithymia and outcome in psychotherapy

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Alexithymia affects approximately 25% of patients seeking psychotherapy.
• Alexithymia is generally associated with poorer therapeutic outcomes.
• The impact of psychotherapy on alexithymia itself requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the modification of alexithymic features during inpatient psychodynamic group therapy.
• To assess the impact of alexithymia on treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 297 inpatients were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8-12 weeks post-discharge.
• Patients received psychodynamic group therapy in a naturalistic setting.
• The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Symptom Checklist-90 were used for assessments.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven percent of patients were identified as alexithymic at baseline.
• Alexithymic patients exhibited significantly higher psychopathological distress (Global Severity Index) throughout treatment and at discharge compared to non-alexithymic patients.
• While overall TAS-20 scores remained stable, alexithymic patients showed a significant reduction in TAS-20 scores from baseline to discharge.

Conclusions:

• Inpatient psychodynamic group therapy effectively reduced both psychopathological distress and alexithymic features in alexithymic patients.
• Despite treatment gains, alexithymic patients had higher distress levels at discharge than non-alexithymic patients.
• Alexithymic features may negatively influence long-term therapeutic outcomes.