Social factors in alexithymia

Social characteristics of alexithymic individuals were examined in a population-based study of 2,682 middle-aged men from Eastern Finland. Alexithymia, referring to difficulties in identifying and verbally describing inner feelings, was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Men whose high TAS score suggested reduced ability in verbal emotional expression were more often unmarried and had low levels of social contacts and acquaintances. Education, income, and occupational status were inversely related to the TAS score. These associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for confounding factors. The results suggest that alexithymia could be viewed not only as a psychological phenomenon, but also partly as a socially determined one.