The relation of alexithymia, chronic perceived stress and declarative memory performance: Results from the general population. (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Terock, Jan; Van der Auwera, Sandra; Janowitz, Deborah; Klinger-König, Johanna; Schmidt, Carsten Oliver; Freyberger, Harald J.; Grabe, Hans Jörgen
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 271(2019)
• Page Start: 405
• Page End: 411
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: Alexithymia -- Chronic stress -- Declarative memory -- General Population; SHIP Study of Health in Pomerania -- TAS-20 Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 -- DIF Difficulties Identifying Feelings -- DDF Difficulties Describing Feelings -- EOT Externally Oriented Thinking -- PTSD Posttraumatic Stress Disorder -- VLMT Verbaler Lern-und Merkfähigkeitstest (Verbal Learning and Memory Test) -- DSM-IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition -- MDD Major depressive disorder -- NAI Nuremberg Age Inventory -- TICS Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress -- SSCS Screening Scale for Chronic Stress -- M-CIDI Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Highlights: Alexithymia, chronic stress and declarative memory performance were measured. Alexithymia predicted impaired declarative memory performance. Perceived chronic stress predicted immediate, but not delayed recall. Alexithymia was strongly associated with perceived chronic stress. Chronic stress mediated the relation of alexithymia with immediate recall. Abstract: Previous evidence showed associations of alexithymia with altered declarative memory performance. However, these findings were not fully consistent and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Alexithymic subjects may be at specific risk for chronic psychosocial stress, which in turn represents a predictor for poorer memory performance. We investigated independent and interaction effects of alexithymia and chronic perceived stress on declarative memory performance. Data were used from two independent general-population samples from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). In sample 1 ( N = 1981), the Auditory Verbal Learning Test, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Screening Scale for Chronic Stress (SSCS) were applied. In sample 2 ( N = 3799), the word list of the Nuremburg Age Inventory and TAS-20 were administered to replicate findings. Alexithymia was significantly associated with poorer immediate and delayed word recall. Chronic stress negatively predicted immediate, but not delayed recall. Alexithymia and particularly "Difficulties Identifying Feelings" showed significant associations with chronic perceived stress. Our findings provide clear evidence for an association of alexithymia with impaired declarative memory performance for words. The strong association of alexithymia with perceived chronic stress could contribute to explain the association of alexithymia with stress-related disorders.