Related Experiment Videos
Controlled study of alexithymic characteristics in patients with psychogenic pain disorder
T G Sriram1, S K Chaturvedi, P S Gopinath
1Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
Abstract:
Alexithymic characteristics were examined in a sample of 30 patients fulfilling the DSM-III criteria for psychogenic pain disorder using an interviewer-rated scale (Beth Israel Hospital Psychosomatic Questionnaire), a self-rated scale (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and a projective technique (Thematic Apperception Test). The findings were compared with a control group of healthy subjects matched on sociodemographic variables. Pain patients were found to be more alexithymic in contrast to the control group as evidenced by the interviewer-rated and self-rated scales. The correlations among the three measures were in the expected direction.