[Alexithymia in fibromyalgia: prevalence]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Pain Management

Context:

• Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain and often involves difficulties with affect regulation.
• Alexithymia, a personality trait linked to impaired emotional processing, is also associated with affect regulation problems.
• Understanding the interplay between fibromyalgia and alexithymia is crucial for optimizing patient care and therapeutic strategies.

Purpose:

• To determine the prevalence of alexithymia in individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• To identify the assessment tools utilized in studies examining alexithymia in fibromyalgia patients.

Summary:

• A systematic literature review of 11 studies found a significantly elevated prevalence of alexithymia in fibromyalgia patients, ranging from 15% to 52%, compared to 6-8% in the general population.
• The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (20-item or 26-item version) was the sole measure employed across all included studies.
• The review highlighted limitations, including inadequate examination of male fibromyalgia patients and those in residential settings, and a lack of psychiatric control groups in the research.

Impact:

• The findings underscore the importance of systematically screening fibromyalgia patients for alexithymia to inform treatment approaches.
• Further research is warranted to investigate alexithymia in underrepresented subgroups, such as male and residential fibromyalgia patients.
• Future studies should incorporate psychiatric control groups to better delineate the relationship between fibromyalgia, alexithymia, and emotional regulation.