Clinical process studies on anxiety and aggressiveness affects in the inpatient therapy of anorexia nervosa

Under the assumption of affect defense (alexithymia), 20 anorexia nervosa patients being treated in the University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf were examined with respect to their affects of anxiety and aggressivity by employing speech samples (three times a week)--according to Gottschalk-Gleser--and questionnaires (ANIS) during hospitalization and compared to 10 control patients from somatic clinics (orthopedics, surgery, gynecology). Particular attention was given to emotional responses toward events during the inpatient period. The most important result found was the distinct affectivity in the anorexia patients, which was partly stronger than that of the somatic control patients, so that judging from our anorexia nervosa sample the hypothesis of alexithymia will have to be renewed and requires a more differentiated discussion.