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The effect of alexithymia on anxiety, depression, coping, and difficulties in daily living in oncologic patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

M. Romoli ,
O. Bernini ,
F. Cosci  and
C. Berrocal
M. Romoli
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa, Pisa
O. Bernini
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa, Pisa
F. Cosci
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
C. Berrocal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa, Pisa

Abstract

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Introduction

Alexithymia is a personality trait that may influence the resilience in oncologic patients.

Objectives

Data on the effect of alexithymia on anxiety, depression, coping, and difficulties in daily living in oncologic patients are lacking.

Aims

To test how alexithymia may influence the development of anxiety, depression, difficulties in daily living, and coping in oncologic patients if compared to healthy volunteers.

Methods

Healthy subjects with high level of alexithymia, healthy subjects with low level of alexithymia, oncologic patients with high level of alexithymia, and oncologic patients with low level of alexithymia were compared. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to assess alexithymia, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) allowed to assess anxiety and depression, the Brief COPE was used to assess the coping, and the dimension of daily living of the Behaviour And Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-32) was used to assess the difficulties in daily living. The differences among the groups were analysed by means of the analyses of covariance controlling for age, education, marital status, and working activity.

Results

A total of 124 subjects participated to the study (57 oncologic patients and 67 healthy subjects). Results showed a between-subjects effect of alexithymia. Subjects with higher level of alexithymia had higher scores in anxiety and depression, higher difficulties in daily living, and lower problem-focused and dysfunctional coping strategies, regardless of having cancer or not.

Conclusions

Alexithymia seems to influence the development of anxiety/depression, the functional daily living, and some strategies of coping more than having cancer.

Type
P02-387
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 26 , Issue S2: Abstracts of the 19th European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2011 , pp. 983
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2011
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