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Alexithymia: relationship to personality disorders

M Bach1, M de Zwaan, D Ackard

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Vienna, Austria.

Comprehensive Psychiatry
|May 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Alexithymia, a personality trait, is not linked to Axis I psychiatric disorders. However, it is associated with specific personality dimensions like schizotypal and dependent traits.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Personality Disorders

Background:

  • Alexithymia has been previously linked to personality models and psychiatric conditions.
  • The clinical validity of alexithymia within current diagnostic frameworks requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between alexithymia and Axis I and Axis II disorders in psychiatric outpatients.
  • To determine if alexithymia is associated with specific personality dimensions as defined by DSM-III-R.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of 182 psychiatric outpatients was assessed for lifetime prevalence of DSM-III-R Axis I disorders using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID).
  • DSM-III-R personality disorders were evaluated using the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R).

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  • Alexithymia was measured using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), with 17% of the sample identified as alexithymic.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant relationship was found between alexithymia and any DSM-III-R Axis I lifetime diagnoses.
    • Schizotypal, dependent, and avoidant personality dimensions were significant predictors of alexithymia.
    • A lack of histrionic features also predicted alexithymia, suggesting a link to personality dimensions.

    Conclusions:

    • Alexithymia is not associated with Axis I psychiatric disorders in this patient sample.
    • Findings support the conceptualization of alexithymia as a personality dimension rather than a symptom of Axis I disorders.
    • The study highlights the importance of considering personality traits in understanding alexithymia.