[Alexithymia and affective expression in endogenous and non-endogenous depression]

Clinical observations and psychopathological reports on patients with endogenous depression suggested a high frequency of alexithymic characteristics in these patients. 21 inpatients with unipolar endogenous depression and 21 inpatients with neurotic-reactive depression, classified according to ICD-9 and DSM-III criteria, were assessed with the content analysis method of Gottschalk-Gleser and the Beth Israel Alexithymia Questionnaire (BIAQ) as well as other questionnaires at two points of time. The gorup with unipolar endogenous depression showed significantly less separation anxiety, diffuse anxiety, total anxiety, hostility directed inward, total hostility and depressivity at both points of time. The endogenous depression group showed significantly higher scores in the BIAQ than the group with neurotic depression. The specifity of alexithymia in psychosomatic patients, its high frequency and the significance of this phenomenon in endogenous depression are discussed.