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Alexithymia in people with tattoos
Justyna Putek1, Jacek C Szepietowski1
1Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Individuals with tattoos show a higher prevalence of alexithymia, particularly those with non-verbal designs. Tattoo motivation did not significantly impact alexithymia rates in this study.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Dermatology
- Sociology
Background:
- Tattoos are a prevalent form of body modification.
- Alexithymia is characterized by deficits in emotional recognition and description.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of alexithymia in tattooed individuals.
- To investigate the relationship between tattoo type and alexithymia.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 403 individuals in Poland.
- The study included a group of 200 tattooed individuals and a control group of 203 non-tattooed individuals.
Main Results:
- 19.9% of tattooed individuals were classified as alexithymic.
- Non-verbal tattoos were associated with a higher prevalence of alexithymia compared to verbal tattoos (p < 0.05).
- Tattoo motivation (psychological or aesthetic) did not significantly correlate with alexithymia.
Conclusions:
- Tattooed individuals represent a population with an elevated risk of alexithymia.
- Non-verbal tattoos may indicate a higher tendency towards alexithymia.
- The reasons behind obtaining a tattoo do not appear to influence alexithymia prevalence.
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