Prevalence of alexithymia in allergy and hypersensitivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Alexithymia is a construct characterized by difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions and has been studied in various medical and psychological conditions. Allergic and hypersensitivity disorders are increasingly recognized for their chronic relapsing-remitting course and have been associated with alexithymia, yet the prevalence and extent of this association remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize existing literature to determine the prevalence of alexithymia among individuals with allergies and hypersensitivity. A comprehensive search of major electronic databases (Cochrane, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SCOPUS) was conducted on date February 2, 2023 of published studies till January 2023. Studies reporting on the prevalence of alexithymia in individuals diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, asthma, food allergies, and other hypersensitivity disorders were included. Quality assessment was performed using standardized tools, and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate pooled prevalence rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 19 studies with a total of 2459 observations were included, with allergy or hypersensitivity disorders and alexithymia. The pooled prevalence of alexithymia among individuals with allergies was found to be 35.26% (95% CI: 27.86%-43.45%) with significant heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses showed a higher prevalence of alexithymia in dermatological conditions as compared to respiratory and gastrointestinal allergic conditions. Prevalence was highest for atopic dermatitis at 62.38% (55.50; 68.78) followed by other allergic conditions. There exists a considerable prevalence of alexithymia among individuals with allergy and hypersensitivity disorders. The findings are relevant while considering alexithymia in the clinical management of these conditions, potentially informing personalized treatment approaches and psychosocial interventions. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and bidirectional relationships between alexithymia and allergic/hypersensitivity disorders, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical practice and research efforts.