Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T07:42:16.086Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Is alexithymia a personality trait increasing the risk of depression? A prospective study evaluating alexithymia before, during and after a depressive episode

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2008

C. Marchesi ,
S. Bertoni ,
A. Cantoni  and
C. Maggini
C. Marchesi*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric Section, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
S. Bertoni
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric Section, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
A. Cantoni
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric Section, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
C. Maggini
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric Section, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
*
*Address for correspondence: C. Marchesi, M.D., Università di Parma, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Psichiatria, Strada del Quartiere 2, 43100 Parma, Italy. (Email: carlo.marchesi @unipr.it)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Whether alexithymia is a personality trait that increases the risk of major depression (MD) is still debated. In this prospective study, alexithymic levels were evaluated before, during and after a depressive episode.

Method

The alexithymic levels, the presence of MD and the severity of anxious-depressive symptoms were evaluated at intervals of about 1 month in pregnant women attending the Centers for Prenatal Care, using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results

Sixteen women affected by MD, 21 affected by subthreshold depression and 112 non-depressed women were included in the study. Women who developed depression, compared to non-depressed women, showed similar TAS and HADS scores during the pre-morbid phase, a significant increase in the scores during depression and a significant decrease after remission, whereas no change was observed in non-depressed women.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that in pregnant women alexithymia does not represent a personality trait that increases the risk of developing a depressive episode, and they support the hypothesis that alexithymia is a state-dependent phenomenon in depressed pregnant women.

Keywords

Alexithymiamajor depressionpersonalityvulnerability
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 12 , December 2008 , pp. 1717 - 1722
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

APA (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Bagby, RM, Parker, JDA, Taylor, GJ (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 38, 23–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bressi, C, Taylor, G, Parker, J, Bressi, S, Brambilla, V, Aguglia, E, Allegranti, I, Buongiorno, A, Giberti, F, Bucca, M, Todarello, O, Callegari, C, Vender, S, Gala, C, Invernizzi, G (1996). Cross-validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: an Italian multicenter study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 41, 551–559.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bydlowski, S, Corcos, M, Jeammet, P, Paterniti, S, Berthoz, S, Laurier, C, Chambry, J, Consoli, SM (2005). Emotion-processing deficits in eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders 37, 321–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hintikka, J, Honkalampi, K, Lehtonen, J, Viinamäki, H (2001). Are alexithymia and depression distinct or overlapping constructs? A study in a general population. Comprehensive Psychiatry 42, 234–239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoffart, A (1994). State and personality in agoraphobic patients. Journal of Personality Disorders 8, 333–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honkalampi, K, Hintikka, J, Antikainen, R, Lehtonen, J, Viinämaki, H (2001 a). Alexithymia in patients with major depressive disorder and comorbid cluster C personality disorders: a 6-month follow-up study. Journal of Personality Disorders 15, 245–254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Honkalampi, K, Hintikka, J, Laukkanen, E, Lehtonen, J, Viinämaki, H (2001 b). Alexithymia and depression. A perspective study of patients with major depressive disorder. Psychosomatics 42, 229–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honkalampi, K, Hintikka, J, Saarinen, P, Lehtonen, J, Viinämaki, H (2000). Is alexithymia a permanent feature in depressed patients? Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 69, 303–308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Honkalampi, K, Koivumaa-Honkanen, H, Antikainen, R, Haatainen, K, Hintikka, J, Viinamaki, H (2004). Relationships among alexithymia, adverse childhood experiences, sociodemographic variables, and actual mood disorder: a 2-year clinical follow-up study of patients with major depressive disorder. Psychosomatics. 45, 197–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Honkalampi, K, Koivumaa-Honkanen, H, Tanskanen, A, Hintikka, J, Lehtonen, J, Viinämaki, H (2001 c). Why do alexithymic features appear to be stable? Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 70, 247–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Le, HN, Ramos, MA, Muñoz, RF (2007). The relationship between alexithymia and perinatal depressive symptomatology. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 62, 215–222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luminet, O, Bagby, RM, Taylor, GJ (2001). An evaluation of the absolute and relative stability of alexithymia in patients with major depression. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 70, 254–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lumley, MA (2000). Alexithymia and negative emotional conditions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 49, 51–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marchesi, C, Brusamonti, E, Maggini, C (2000). Are alexithymia, depression, and anxiety distinct constructs in affective disorders? Journal of Psychosomatic Research 49, 43–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marchesi, C, Fontò, S, Balista, C, Cimmino, C, Maggini, C (2005). The relationship between alexithymia and panic disorder: a longitudinal study to answer an open question. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 74, 56–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikolajczak, M, Luminet, O (2006). Is alexithymia affected by situational stress or is it a stable trait related to emotion regulation? Personality and Individual Differences 40, 1399–1408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saarijärvi, S, Salminen, JK, Toikka, TB (2001). Alexithymia and depression. A 1-year follow-up study in outpatients with major depression. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 51, 729–733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saarijärvi, S, Salminen, JK, Toikka, TB (2006). Temporal stability of alexithymia over a five-year period in outpatients with major depression. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 75, 107–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Speranza, M, Corcos, M, Stephan, P, Loas, G, Perez-Diaz, F, Lang, F, Venisse, JL, Bizouard, P, Flament, M, Halfon, O, Jeammet, P (2004). Alexithymia, depressive experiences, and dependency in addictive disorders. Substance Use and Misuse 39, 551–579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spitzer, RL, Williams, JB, Kroenke, K, Linzer, M, deGruy, FV III, Hahn, SR, Brody, D, Johnson, JG (1994). Utility of a new procedure for diagnosing mental disorders in primary care. The PRIME-MD 1000 study. Journal of the American Medical Association 272, 1749–1756.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, GJ, Bagby, RM (2004). New trends in alexithymia research. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 73, 68–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zigmond, AS, Snaith, RP (1983). The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 67, 361–370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed