Alexithymia in different dermatologic patients

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in differentiating and describing feelings. Research indicates that alexithymia can be considered as a possible risk factor for a variety of medical conditions. The purpose of our study was to compare and assess the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with psoriasis, alopecia areata, vitiligo and acne vulgaris. 120 consecutive subjects referred to dermatologic clinic with psoriasis, alopecia areata, vitiligo and acne vulgaris and 30 subjects selected from hospital staff and relatives of patients were enrolled in patient and control groups of our study respectively. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to assess the prevalence of alexithymia. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the vitiligo, alopecia areata, psoriasis patients and the control group in terms of alexithymia score (p≤0.05), but did not find any significant difference between acne patients and control group (p=0.06). This study has demonstrated high score of alexithymia in patients with psoriasis, alopecia areata and vitiligo compared with control group; however, such association was not found in individuals with acne vulgaris. Hence it is proposed that the evaluation and management of alexithymia would better the treatment of skin disorders and improve the quality of life in patients.