Body talk: Sex differences in the influence of alexithymia on physical complaints among psychiatric outpatients. (March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ogrodniczuk, John S.; Kealy, David; Joyce, Anthony S.; Abbass, Allan A.
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 261(2018)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 172
• Publication Date: 2018-03
• Subjects: Women -- Men -- Emotional awareness -- Pain -- Bodily symptoms; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.072
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between alexithymia and physical complaints among psychiatric outpatients, and whether sex moderated this relationship. Participants (N = 185) completed measures of physical complaints (bodily symptom burden, pain severity, pain interference), alexithymia, current symptom (depression, anxiety) distress, and somatosensory amplification (i.e., a person's tendency to be bothered by physical sensations). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, controlling for the influence of current psychiatric symptom distress and somatosensory amplification. Findings revealed differential relationships between alexithymia and physical complaints (pain interference) for women and men, in addition to main effects for sex and alexithymia. The findings suggest that the negative influence of alexithymia on bodily-related problems may not be universal. Highlights: Female patients had significantly greater bodily symptom burden compared to male patients. Higher levels of bodily symptom burden occurred with higher levels of alexithymia. A significant interaction between sex and alexithymia revealed an association between alexithymia and pain interference for female patients but not for male patients.