Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Introducing alexithymia: a concept within the psychosomatic process

R Stephenson1

  • 1School of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, UK.

Disability and Rehabilitation
|April 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Morel-Lavallée lesion on the craniomedial aspect of the stifle in a horse: diagnosis, surgical management and outcome.

Journal of equine veterinary science·2025
Same author

Prevalence and predictors of cigarette smoking among people with HIV in Western Jamaica.

AIDS care·2024
Same author

Enhancing routine HIV and STI testing among young men who have sex with men: primary outcomes of the get connected clinical randomized trial (ATN 139).

BMC public health·2024
Same author

Real-world application of tumor mutational burden-high (TMB-high) and microsatellite instability (MSI) confirms their utility as immunotherapy biomarkers.

ESMO open·2021
Same author

Concordance in the reporting of intimate partner violence among male-male couples.

Journal of family violence·2020
Same author

Letter to the Editor: A response to 'What is lameness and what (or who) is the gold standard to detect it?'

Equine veterinary journal·2018
Same journal

Optimising access to the New South Wales Mid North Coast Brain Injury Service for local aboriginal people (Dunghutti Muri project): a participatory action research study.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Validation of the Egyptian-Arabic version of ABILHAND-Kids questionnaire: a cross-cultural study.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Patient's perspectives on the value of peer support after acquired brain injury: an exploratory study.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Aligning interprofessional collaboration in sick leave and return-to-work guidance: development of the ICF-based WARD instrument and guideline.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Effects of non-invasive therapies for the treatment of phantom limb pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Understanding patients' experiences and needs around decision-making for bulbar symptom management at a multidisciplinary ALS clinic.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
See all related articles

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulty identifying and describing emotions, leading to physical symptoms. Increased awareness and screening are recommended for therapists and rehabilitation personnel.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Neuroscience

Background:

  • Alexithymia, a concept derived from clinical observation, lacks definitive diagnostic criteria and validated assessment tools.
  • This hinders reliable data collection and inter-study comparisons in psychological research.
  • Despite empirical challenges, alexithymia remains a significant personality trait of interest in therapeutic contexts.

Observation:

  • Individuals with alexithymia struggle to translate emotional arousal into symbolic feelings or fantasies.
  • They often express emotional distress through physical (somatic) complaints rather than verbalizing emotions.
  • This manifests as a literal "lack of words for feeling."

Findings:

  • This paper reviews the clinical characteristics and associated somatic symptomatology of alexithymia.

Related Experiment Videos

  • It examines current methods for assessing alexithymia and explores potential etiological factors.
  • The review highlights the challenges posed by the absence of standardized diagnostic and measurement tools.

    • Implications:

    • Rehabilitation personnel should be aware of alexithymia, as somatized symptoms may be the primary client complaint.
    • Therapists are encouraged to screen for alexithymia to gather epidemiological data.
    • Understanding alexithymia is crucial for improving treatment efficacy and understanding physical manifestations.