Alexithymia and illness perceptions in persons with multiple sclerosis and their partners

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Illness perceptions (IPs) influence disease management and outcomes.
• Alexithymia, characterized by difficulty identifying and describing emotions, is prevalent in various chronic conditions.
• Understanding the interplay between alexithymia and IPs is crucial for holistic patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between alexithymia and illness perceptions in individuals with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and their partners.
• To examine how alexithymic traits affect one's own (actor effect) and their partner's (partner effect) illness perceptions within dyads.
• To explore the relationship between alexithymia and specific dimensions of illness perceptions, including consequences and treatment control.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 100 persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and 100 partners.
• Data collected using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised.
• Dyadic data analysis employing the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to assess actor and partner effects.

Main Results:

• Significant small-to-moderate actor and partner effects were observed between alexithymia and illness perceptions.
• Higher alexithymic traits were associated with more negative illness perceptions (e.g., perceived consequences, emotional representations).
• Conversely, higher alexithymia correlated with lower positive illness perceptions (e.g., coherence, treatment control).

Conclusions:

• Findings confirm a significant relationship between alexithymia and negative illness appraisals in the context of multiple sclerosis.
• Interventions targeting alexithymic traits may be beneficial in reducing negative and potentially dysfunctional illness perceptions.
• This research highlights the importance of considering emotional processing in managing multiple sclerosis and its impact on patients and their support systems.