Alexithymia and somatic amplification in chronic pain

A controlled study was undertaken to assess alexithymia and somatic amplification among 50 medical outpatients with chronic pain referred for psychiatric consultation. Data were collected on demographics; DSM-IV diagnoses; and measures of anxiety, depression, and alexithymia, assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), as well as somatic amplification, assessed with the Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SAS). Data analysis revealed low scores on the TAS-20 and SAS for the pain patients, compared with a control group without pain. In this sample, depression and anxiety were the primary determinants of alexithymia and somatic amplification, rather than pain. These findings suggest that psychological markers for chronic pain may be different from those for other somatoform disorders.