101
|
McQuarrie AM, Smith SD, Jakobson LS. Alexithymia and sensory processing sensitivity account for unique variance in the prediction of emotional contagion and empathy. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1072783. [PMID: 37151350 PMCID: PMC10157231 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1072783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Empathy-the ability to identify and share another person's emotional state-is an important socio-emotional process arising, in part, from emotional contagion. In the current study, we assessed unique variance in emotional contagion and other empathy-related constructs accounted for by two personality traits, alexithymia and sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), when controlling for childhood emotional abuse and current depressed mood. Methods A sample of 305 adults (M age = 20.1 years) watched brief film clips chosen to induce various emotional states. After each film, the participants rated how strongly they experienced each of nine different emotions. They then completed self-report measures of alexithymia, SPS, empathy-related constructs, childhood emotional abuse, and current mood. Results Those scoring high (vs. low) on SPS reported stronger primary emotions and a larger range of emotions when watching the films and were more apt to believe that their emotions matched those of the individuals featured in the films. They also scored higher on both self-oriented processes (such as the tendency to feel personal distress in tense situations) and other-oriented processes (such as perspective taking and empathic concern) related to empathy. Individuals scoring high (vs. low) on alexithymia reported feeling a larger range of emotions while watching the films but scored lower on other-oriented processes related to empathy. After controlling for SPS and alexithymia, current depressed mood predicted experiencing less varied reactions to mixed valence films that elicited strong feelings of embarrassment/humiliation, and less amusement when watching positive films. Childhood emotional abuse did not emerge as a predictor of emotional contagion or empathy. Discussion We propose that the strong and nuanced feelings elicited in those scoring high on SPS by observing others support their personal view that they are highly empathic. In contrast, by failing to closely examine their own mixed reactions to others, individuals with alexithymia may find it difficult to connect with, understand, and respond to others' feelings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen D. Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Lorna S. Jakobson
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Lorna S. Jakobson,
| |
Collapse
|
102
|
Eddy CM. The non-human animal reading the mind in the eyes test (NARMET): A new measure for the assessment of social cognition. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1129252. [PMID: 37020731 PMCID: PMC10069677 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1129252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET) is a widely applied test of social cognition, based on mental state judgments in response to photographs of human eyes, which can elicit impairment in patients with numerous psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, interpretation of task performance is limited without the use of appropriate control tasks. In addition to a matched task requiring age judgments of the RMET stimuli, it was recently shown that a mental state judgment task of comparable difficulty, could be developed using photographs of domestic cat eyes. The current study aimed to further develop a Non-human Animal RMET (NARMET) by testing additional stimuli in the form of photographs of domestic dog eyes. A variety of additional tasks were used alongside the eyes test stimuli in a large sample of healthy young adults, to explore how alexithymia, schizotypal features, and autistic tendencies may differentially influence mental state attribution in response to cat, dog, and human eyes test stimuli. The resulting NARMET features both cat and dog trials, depicting a similar range of complex mental states to the human RMET. It shows favorable psychometric properties as well as being well matched to the RMET in terms of linguistic variables, length and difficulty. However, reading measures predicted performance on the RMET, but not on the NARMET. Although further testing is required in samples with a higher proportion of males, future application of the NARMET in neuropsychiatric populations exhibiting cognitive and behavioral difficulties could offer enhanced assessment of social cognitive skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare M. Eddy
- BSMHFT National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Clare M. Eddy, ,
| |
Collapse
|
103
|
Herpertz J, Taylor J, Allen JJB, Herpertz S, Opel N, Richter M, Subic-Wrana C, Dieris-Hirche J, Lane RD. Development and validation of a computer program for measuring emotional awareness in German-The geLEAS (German electronic Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale). Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1129755. [PMID: 37032926 PMCID: PMC10076697 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1129755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Emotional awareness is the ability to identify, interpret, and verbalize the emotional responses of oneself and those of others. The Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) is an objective performance inventory that accurately measures an individual's emotional awareness. LEAS assessments are typically scored manually and are therefore both time consuming and cognitively demanding. This study presents a German electronic scoring program for the LEAS (geLEAS), the first non-English computerized assessment approach of the LEAS. Methods Data were collected from a healthy German community sample (N = 208). We developed a modern software for computerizing LEAS scoring, an open-source text-based emotion assessment tool called VETA (Verbal Emotion in Text Assessment). We investigated if the software would arrive at similar results as hand scoring in German and if emotional awareness would show similar associations to sociodemographic information and psychometric test results as in previous studies. Results The most frequently used scoring method of the geLEAS shows excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94) and high correlations with hand scoring (r = 0.97, p < 0.001). Higher emotional awareness measured by the geLEAS is associated with female gender, older age, and higher academic achievement (all p < 0.001). Moreover, it is linked to the ability to identify emotions in facial expressions (p < 0.001) and more accurate theory of mind functioning (p < 0.001). Discussion An automated method for evaluating emotional awareness greatly expands the ability to study emotional awareness in clinical care and research. This study aims to advance the use of emotional awareness as a clinical and scientific parameter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Herpertz
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- *Correspondence: Julian Herpertz
| | - Jacob Taylor
- David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John J. B. Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Stephan Herpertz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Maike Richter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Claudia Subic-Wrana
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Dieris-Hirche
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL-University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Jan Dieris-Hirche
| | - Richard D. Lane
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
104
|
Estévez A, Jauregui P, Momeñe J, Etxaburu N, Lopez-Gonzalez H. Hopelessness in gambling disorder: relationship with affect, alexithymia and gambling motives in young adults. INTERNATIONAL GAMBLING STUDIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2022.2152468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Estévez
- Psychology Department, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Paula Jauregui
- Psychology Department, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Janire Momeñe
- Psychology Department, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Nerea Etxaburu
- Psychology Department, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Hibai Lopez-Gonzalez
- Department of Library, Information, and Communication, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
105
|
Itoi C, Ujiie Y, Matsushima K, Takahashi K, Ide M. Validation of the Japanese version of the Interoception Sensory Questionnaire for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21722. [PMID: 36522396 PMCID: PMC9755269 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25883-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Interoception Sensory Questionnaire (ISQ) is a self-report instrument used to assess the characteristics of interoceptive processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies have shown that scores of the ISQ are more appropriate than other subjective measures for evaluating difficulties in interoceptive processing in individuals with ASD. Yet, no prior research has demonstrated the validation of the ISQ in Japanese samples. This study attempted to validate the Japanese version of the ISQ (ISQ-J) by examining its psychometric properties. We confirmed the score distribution, internal consistency, and factor structure in Japanese samples. We also examined the relationships with other interoceptive questionnaires. In addition, we compared the scores of the ISQ-J between adolescents and adults with ASD participants and control participants. Results of confirmatory factor analyses showed that the reliability of the ISQ-J in adults with ASD reached an acceptable level of a one-factor structure with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.963). The result of the ISQ-J showed a significant positive correlation with the measure of awareness of interoceptive sensitivity for localized bodily states; on the other hand, a significant negative correlation was found with those integrated bodily states. In addition, the ISQ-J scores were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the control group. The current findings depend on self-report data (including a diagnosis of ASD) to measure validity constructs. Additionally, since the ISQ-J was surveyed in adults with ASD, it is unclear whether similar the results would be obtained if the ISQ-J were conducted with children. These results indicate the validity and reliability of the ISQ-J and provide a tool for assessing confusion of interoceptive information in Japanese adults with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Itoi
- grid.419819.c0000 0001 2184 8682NTT Communication Science Laboratories, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198 Japan ,grid.419714.e0000 0004 0596 0617National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, 4-1 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8555 Japan
| | - Yuta Ujiie
- grid.262564.10000 0001 1092 0677College of Contemporary Psychology, Rikkyo University, 1-2-26 Kitano, Niiza-shi, Saitama, 352-8558 Japan ,grid.262576.20000 0000 8863 9909Research Organization of Open Innovation and Collaboration, Ritsumeikan University, 2-150 Iwakura-Cho, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-8570 Japan
| | - Kanae Matsushima
- grid.410783.90000 0001 2172 5041Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kansai Medical University, 18-89 Uyamahigashi-Cho, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1136 Japan
| | - Kohske Takahashi
- grid.262576.20000 0000 8863 9909College of Comprehensive Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, 2-150 Iwakura-Cho, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-8570 Japan
| | - Masakazu Ide
- grid.419714.e0000 0004 0596 0617National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, 4-1 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8555 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
106
|
Li J, Jiang W, Zhu R, Fan F, Fu F, Wei D, Tang S, Tian Y, Chen J, Li Y, Zhou H, Wang L, Wang D, Zhang XY. Depression in Chinese men with methamphetamine dependence: Prevalence, correlates and relationship with alexithymia. J Affect Disord 2022; 319:235-243. [PMID: 36162653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The comorbidity between substance use disorder and major depressive disorder is a typical dual diagnosis in the field of substance addiction. However, the prevalence and correlates of depression in methamphetamine addicts and whether it is associated with drug craving and alexithymia have been rarely reported in the Chinese population. METHODS We recruited 585 methamphetamine-dependent males from a drug rehabilitation center in China and 203 healthy controls. Demographic and drug use data were collected. Depression was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N·I.). Methamphetamine cravings and alexithymia were assessed using the Desire for Drugs Questionnaire (DDQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). RESULTS The prevalence rate of depression in methamphetamine-dependent men was 16.58 % (97/585). The scores of DDQ desire and intention, DDQ negative reinforcement, total DDQ, difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF), and total TAS score of depressed patients were higher than those of non-depressed patients. However, only DDQ negative reinforcement score, DIF, DDF, and total TAS score remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Additionally, logistic regression analysis found that age, DIF score, and DDQ negative reinforcement score were significant factors contributing to depression in methamphetamine-dependent men. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the prevalence of depression is significantly higher in methamphetamine-dependent men than in the healthy Chinese population. Furthermore, age, components of alexithymia and drug craving are risk factors for depression in methamphetamine addicts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongrong Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fusheng Fan
- Xin Hua Drug Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan, China
| | - Fabing Fu
- Xin Hua Drug Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan, China
| | - Dejun Wei
- Xin Hua Drug Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan, China
| | | | - Yang Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajing Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huixia Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiang-Yang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
107
|
The relationship between perfectionism and eating pathology: the mediating roles of body dissatisfaction and alexithymia. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04068-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
108
|
Gori A, Topino E, Fioravanti G, Casale S. Exploring the Psychodynamics of Compulsive Shopping: Single and Moderated Mediation Analyses. Int J Ment Health Addict 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00977-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
|
109
|
Wen J, Wu Y, Peng L, Chen S, Yuan J, Wang W, Cong L. Constructing and Verifying an Alexithymia Risk-Prediction Model for Older Adults with Chronic Diseases Living in Nursing Homes: A Cross-Sectional Study in China. Geriatrics (Basel) 2022; 7:geriatrics7060139. [PMID: 36547275 PMCID: PMC9777669 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics7060139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a critical global public health concern. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study explored the risk factors of alexithymia in older adults living in nursing homes with chronic diseases. It also developed and evaluated an alexithymia risk-prediction model. A total of 203 older adults with chronic diseases were selected from seven nursing homes in Changsha, China, using simple random and cluster sampling. The participants were surveyed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), and a socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire. The alexithymia total score was 43.85 ± 9.570, with an incidence rate of 8.9%. Alexithymia had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between social support and psychological resilience (the effect value was 0.12), accounting for 19.04% of the total effect. Gender, depression, and psychological resilience were the main independent influencing factors of alexithymia (p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) curve of the risk-prediction model was 0.770. The participants, especially those who were male and depressed, exhibited a certain degree of alexithymia. Additionally, it partially mediated the association between social support and psychological resilience, which is a protective factor against alexithymia. The risk-prediction model showed good accuracy and discrimination. Hence, it can be used for preliminary screening of alexithymia in older adults with chronic diseases living in nursing homes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wen
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Ying Wu
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Lixia Peng
- Shuda College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Siyi Chen
- Shuda College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Jiayang Yuan
- Shuda College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Weihong Wang
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Li Cong
- School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China
- Shuda College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410000, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
110
|
Mariani R, Marini I, Di Trani M, Catena C, Patino F, Riccioni R, Pasquini M. Emotional dysregulation and linguistic patterns as a defining feature of patients in the acute phase of anorexia nervosa. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:3267-3277. [PMID: 35939211 PMCID: PMC9358383 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01456-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This research aims to analyze the relationship between emotional regulation and the symbolic process in autobiographical narratives of a group of individuals diagnosed with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN), compared to a non-clinical group. The study is framed within multiple code theory (MCT) (Bucci, 1997; 2021), which considers mind-body integration. The purposes of this study are to investigate whether participants of the AN group will show greater alexithymia and emotional dysregulation than the non-clinical group; and whether the specific linguistic and symbolic features, such as somato-sensory words, affect words, and difficulty in the symbolizing process will predict the AN group. METHODS Twenty-nine female participants hospitalized with AN during an acute phase (mean age 19.8 ± 4.1) and 36 non-clinical female participants (mean age 21 ± 2.4) were selected through snow-ball sampling. The participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Profile of Mood of State (POMS), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and the Relationship Anecdotes Paradigm Interview (RAP). The RAP interview was audio-recorded and transcribed to apply the Referential Process (RP) Linguistic Measures. A T test for paired samples and a logistic binary regression was performed. RESULTS AN presented a significantly higher emotional dysregulation through the ERQ, TAS20 and POMS measures. Specifically, AN showed higher ER expression/suppression strategies, fewer functional cognitive strategies, higher alexithymia, and higher mood dysregulation. Specific linguistic features such as sensory-somatic, word affect, and difficulty in RP symbolizing predict the AN group (R2 = 0.349; χ2 = 27,929; df = 3; p = .001). CONCLUSIONS Emotional dysregulation is connected to AN symptoms and autobiographical narratives. The results can help a clinical assessment phase showing specific linguistic features in AN patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II, controlled trial without randomization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Mariani
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Isabella Marini
- Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Di Trani
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlotta Catena
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Patino
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Pasquini
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
111
|
Karpuz Seren B, Acikgoz M, Piri Cinar B, Aciman Demirel E, Celebi U, Atasoy HT. The relationship between alexithymia, reading the mind in the eyes and cognition in patients with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2022; 68:104196. [PMID: 36223703 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.104196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AIM The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of alexithymia, difficulty in recognizing one's own and others' emotions, to determine the ability to read the mind in the eyes that evaluates the emotions of others, and to assess the relationship between these parameters and demographic characteristics, cognition, anxiety and depression in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). MATERIAL AND METHOD Seventy patients presenting to the neurology clinic and diagnosed with MS and 70 healthy volunteers with similar demographic characteristics were included in the study. The California Verbal Learning Test II (CVLT II), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test (BVMT-R), and Trail-Making Test (TMT) were applied to determine all participants' cognitive status. All participants were also administered Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) for quality of life. RESULTS Alexithymia levels were higher in the PwMS than in the control group, 24.2% of the PwMS and 4.2% of the control group being alexithymic. The PwMS group exhibited poorer performance on all cognitive tests and in BDI, BAI, FIS and SF-36 scale scores than the control group. No difference was determined between the groups' RMET scores. Depression and anxiety levels increased in line with alexithymia levels in the PwMS group, while RMET scores decreased. No association was determined between alexithymia levels and age, sex, duration of disease, degree of disability, cognition, or fatigue. RMET scores were not affected by age, sex, duration of disease, degree of disability, anxiety, or fatigue, but were lower among individuals with poor cognition and in depressive patients. CONCLUSION Neuropsychiatric symptoms have been the subject of considerable research in MS in recent years and these clinical characteristics in patients have begun being closely monitored. PwMS are capable of experiencing difficulty in identifying emotions in themselves and others, and their social lives can be affected. In addition, the fact that this exhibits an association with cognition based on RMET is particularly noteworthy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Karpuz Seren
- Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Acikgoz
- Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department, Zonguldak, Turkey.
| | - Bilge Piri Cinar
- Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Esra Aciman Demirel
- Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Ulufer Celebi
- Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Hüseyin Tugrul Atasoy
- Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department, Zonguldak, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
112
|
Çavdar Toraman M, Sarigedik E, Özçetin A. Evaluation of Psychological Resilience, Alexithymia, and Impulsivity Characteristics in Persons Who Attempted Suicide with Drugs. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2022:302228221142092. [PMID: 36441644 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221142092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In this study, it was aimed to research the connection between psychological resilience, alexithymia, depression, anxiety and impulsivity in patients who attempted suicide with drugs. METHODS The patient group (n = 66) who attempted suicide with drugs and the control group (n = 66) without any psychiatric diagnosis were examined in the study. Sociodemographic data form, Psychological Resilience Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) were used in the study. RESULTS It was found that PRS dedication and challenge are significantly higher in the control group (p = .039 and p = .003, respectively). When the undiagnosed group who attempted suicide were compared with the control group, it was observed that there is a significant difference between BIS-11 total and TAS total after bonferonni correction (respectively; p = .002; p = .001), while, there is no statistically significant difference in terms of PRS total score (p = .483). CONCLUSION It was observed that patients who attempted suicide with drugs had low levels of psychological resilience, high alexithymia levels. In the absence of an additional diagnosis of depression, psychological resilience did not differ in terms of suicide attempts. In the suicide group, those who did not receive any additional diagnosis were not more impulsive than those who were depressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Enes Sarigedik
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey
| | - Adnan Özçetin
- Department of Psychiatry, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
113
|
Preliminary efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy on emotion regulation in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot randomized waitlist-controlled study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277398. [PMID: 36417403 PMCID: PMC9683545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated the clinical utility of cognitive-behavioral therapy in improving emotion regulation in children on the autism spectrum. However, no studies have elucidated the clinical utility of cognitive-behavioral therapy in improving emotion regulation in autistic adults. The aim of the present pilot study was to explore the preliminary clinical utility of a group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy program designed to address emotion regulation skills in autistic adults. We conducted a clinical trial based on a previously reported protocol; 31 participants were randomly allocated to the intervention group and 29 to the waitlist control group. The intervention group underwent an 8-week program of cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions. Two participants from the intervention group withdrew from the study, leaving 29 participants (93.5%) in the group. Compared with the waitlist group, the cognitive-behavioral therapy group exhibited significantly greater pre-to-post (Week 0-8) intervention score improvements on the attitude scale of the autism spectrum disorder knowledge and attitude quiz (t = 2.21, p = 0.03, d = 0.59) and the difficulty describing feelings scale of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (t = -2.07, p = 0.04, d = -0.57) in addition to pre-to-follow-up (Week 0-16) score improvements on the emotion-oriented scale of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (t = -2.14, p = 0.04, d = -0.59). Our study thus provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy program on emotion regulation in autistic adults, thereby supporting further evaluation of the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral therapy program in the context of a larger randomized clinical trial. However, the modest and inconsistent effects underscore the importance of continued efforts to improve the cognitive-behavioral therapy program beyond current standards.
Collapse
|
114
|
Wronski ML, Plessow F, Kerem L, Asanza E, O'Donoghue ML, Stanford FC, Bredella MA, Torriani M, Soukas AA, Kheterpal A, Eddy KT, Holmes TM, Deckersbach T, Vangel M, Holsen LM, Lawson EA. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 8-week intranasal oxytocin administration in adults with obesity: Rationale, study design, and methods. Contemp Clin Trials 2022; 122:106909. [PMID: 36087842 PMCID: PMC10329413 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity affects more than one-third of adults in the U.S., and effective treatment options are urgently needed. Oxytocin administration induces weight loss in animal models of obesity via effects on caloric intake, energy expenditure, and fat metabolism. We study intranasal oxytocin, an investigational drug shown to reduce caloric intake in humans, as a potential novel treatment for obesity. METHODS We report the rationale, design, methods, and biostatistical analysis plan of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of intranasal oxytocin for weight loss (primary endpoint) in adults with obesity. Participants (aged 18-45 years) were randomly allocated (1:1) to oxytocin (four times daily over eight weeks) versus placebo. Randomization was stratified by biological sex and BMI (30 to <35, 35 to <40, ≥40 kg/m2). We investigate the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of oxytocin administration in reducing body weight. Secondary endpoints include changes in resting energy expenditure, body composition, caloric intake, metabolic profile, and brain activation via functional magnetic resonance imaging in response to food images and during an impulse control task. Safety and tolerability (e.g., review of adverse events, vital signs, electrocardiogram, comprehensive metabolic panel) are assessed throughout the study and six weeks after treatment completion. RESULTS Sixty-one male and female participants aged 18-45 years were randomized (mean age 34 years, mean BMI 37 kg/m2). The study sample is diverse with 38% identifying as non-White and 20% Hispanic. CONCLUSION Investigating intranasal oxytocin's efficacy, safety, and mechanisms as an anti-obesity medication will advance the search for optimal treatment strategies for obesity and its associated severe sequelae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Louis Wronski
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Plessow
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liya Kerem
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elisa Asanza
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle L O'Donoghue
- TIMI Study Group, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fatima C Stanford
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miriam A Bredella
- Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Torriani
- Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander A Soukas
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Diabetes Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arvin Kheterpal
- Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kamryn T Eddy
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tara M Holmes
- Translational and Clinical Research Centers, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thilo Deckersbach
- Diploma Hochschule/University of Applied Sciences, Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany
| | - Mark Vangel
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M Holsen
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
115
|
Hamet Bagnou J, Prigent E, Martin JC, Clavel C. Adaptation and validation of two annotation scales for assessing social skills in a corpus of multimodal collaborative interactions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1039169. [PMID: 36389487 PMCID: PMC9648354 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1039169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Context Behavioral observation scales are important for understanding and assessing social skills. In the context of collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills, considered essential in the 21st century, there are no validated scales in French that can be adapted to different CPS tasks. The aim of this study is to adapt and validate, by annotating a new video corpus of dyadic interactions that we have collected, two observational scales allowing us to qualitatively assess CPS skills: the Social Performance Rating Scale (SPRS) and the Social Skills of Collaboration Scale (SSC). Method The construct validity of these two scales was assessed by exploratory factor analysis and inter-item correlations. We also checked inter-judge agreement using inter-class correlation coefficients. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's alpha and convergent and divergent validity by assessing correlations between the two scales and measures of depression and alexithymia. Finally, the discriminative properties of the two scales were analyzed by comparing the scores obtained by a group of anxious individuals and a non-anxious control group. Results The results show that our two scales have excellent inter-item correlations. Internal consistency is excellent (alpha SPRS =0.90; SSC = 0.93). Inter-rater agreement ranged from moderate to high. Finally, convergent validity was significant with the alexithymia scale, as was divergent validity with the depression scale. Anxious individuals had lower scores on both scales than non-anxious individuals. Conclusion Both scales show good psychometric properties for assessing social skills relevant to different collaborative tasks. They also identify individuals with difficulties in social interaction. Thus, they could allow monitoring the effectiveness of training social skills useful in CPS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Hamet Bagnou
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Sciences du Numérique (LISN), Orsay, France
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
116
|
Xu D, Li Q, Zhuang Q, Zhang Y, Yao S, Zhao W, Kendrick KM. Oro-mucosal administration of oxytocin using medicated lollipops alters social attention, similar to intranasal and lingual routes: Implications for therapeutic use. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1022101. [PMID: 36389233 PMCID: PMC9641372 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1022101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A key functional effect of intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin is on top-down control of social attention. However, an oro-mucosal administration route may be better tolerated for chronic therapeutic use and evidence suggests that some functional effects of oxytocin can be mediated via peripheral routes. The current study investigated if oxytocin administered orally using medicated lollipops can both increase blood oxytocin concentrations and influence social attention and state anxiety. In a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial adult male participants received oral oxytocin (24IU) or placebo 30-min before completing a well-established anti-saccade paradigm which can assess treatment effects on both top-down and bottom-up attention. Oxytocin administration modulated top-down social attentional processing by increasing anti-saccade error rates on both social and non-social stimuli although it only increased response latencies for social cues. Anti-saccade errors were also positively associated with the proportionate increase in plasma oxytocin concentrations. A comparison analysis showed that oral oxytocin administration increased blood concentrations to a similar degree as given by lingual spray, although less than when given intranasally. Importantly, attentional and anxiolytic effects of oxytocin in the anti-saccade task were similar across intranasal, lingual, and oral administration routes. These findings demonstrate that oral administration of oxytocin, similar to via intranasal and lingual routes, can modulate top-down social attention and state anxiety and support its potential for therapeutic use. They also provide further evidence that functional effects of exogenously administered oxytocin can be mediated indirectly either by crossing the blood brain barrier or producing receptor mediated vagal stimulation, as opposed to via direct entry into the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qin Li
- School of Foreign Language, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Qian Zhuang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Shuxia Yao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
117
|
Do alexithymia and negative affect predict poor sleep quality? The moderating role of interoceptive sensibility. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275359. [PMID: 36191028 PMCID: PMC9529110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Emotion-related hyperarousal is an important core pathology of poor sleep. Studies investigating the interplay of alexithymia and affective experiences in determining sleep quality have yielded mixed results. To disentangle the inconsistency, this study examined the concurrent predictive power of alexithymia, and negative and positive affect, while incorporating interoceptive sensibility (IS) as a possible moderator. METHODS A sample of 224 (70.10% were female) participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (for controlling response bias) using paper and pencil. A two-stage cluster analysis of the MAIA was used to capture IS characteristics. Stepwise regression was conducted separately for each IS cluster. RESULTS A three-group structure for IS characteristics was found. Higher alexithymia was predictive of poor sleep quality in the low IS group, while higher negative affect predicted poor sleep quality in the moderate and high IS groups. Additionally, alexithymia and positive affect were significantly different in the three IS groups, while negative affect and sleep quality were not. CONCLUSIONS Emotion and cognitive arousal may impact sleep quality differently in individuals with different levels of internal focusing ability, depending on physiological versus emotional self-conceptualization. The implications on pathological research, clinical intervention, study limitations and future directions are discussed.
Collapse
|
118
|
Lee KS, Murphy J, Catmur C, Bird G, Hobson H. Furthering the language hypothesis of alexithymia: An integrated review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104864. [PMID: 36087760 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia, including the inability to identify and express one's own feelings, is a subclinical condition responsible for some of the socioemotional symptoms seen across a range of psychiatric conditions. The language hypothesis of alexithymia posits a language-mediated disruption in the development of discrete emotion concepts from ambiguous affective states, exacerbating the risk of developing alexithymia in language-impaired individuals. To provide a critical evaluation, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 empirical studies of language functioning in alexithymia was performed. A modest association was found between alexithymia and multi-domain language deficits (r = -0.14), including structural language, pragmatics, and propensity to use emotional language. A more theoretically-relevant subsample analysis comparing alexithymia levels in language-impaired and typical individuals revealed larger effects, but a limited number of studies adopted this approach. A synthesis of 11 emotional granularity studies also found an association between alexithymia and reduced emotional granularity (r = -0.10). Language impairments seem to increase the risk of alexithymia. Heterogeneous samples and methods suggest the need for studies with improved alexithymia assessments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ka Shu Lee
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Jennifer Murphy
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Catmur
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Hobson
- Department of Psychology, University of York, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
119
|
Mail Gurkan Z, Sengul Y, Guven Ekiz T, Tantik Pak A. Effect of alexithymia and difficulty of emotion regulation, neuroticism, low extraversion, and suicidality on quality of life in epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 135:108887. [PMID: 36037582 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate alexithymia, emotion dysregulation, suicidality, and personality traits in people with epilepsy (PWE) and to evaluate their effects on quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-six consecutive PWE and forty healthy control subjects (HC) were recruited for the study. Both PWE and HC were interviewed and completed the following questionnaires: Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20(TAS-20), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Suicidal Ideation Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Quality Of Life In Epilepsy-31. RESULTS TAS-20 and difficulty identifying feelings which was the subgroup of TAS-20, scores of total and non-acceptance, goals, impulse, strategies, and clarity subgroups of DERS were statistically significantly higher in PWE (p = 0.01, 0.004, 0.01, 0.07, 0.009, 0.06, 0.01, respectively). Considering the personality characteristics, neuroticism was more common in PWE, while extraversion was less common. Suicidal ideation and anxiety scores were higher in PWE than HC (p = 0.02, p = 0.003). Anxiety, suicidal ideation, neuroticism, alexithymia and emotion dysregulation had a negative relationship on quality of life. (r = -0.54, p < 0.001; r = -0.54, p < 0.001; r = -0.62, p < 0.001; r = -0.32, p = 0.02; r = -0.52, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Difficulty identifying feelings, dysregulation of emotions especially nonacceptance, goals, impulse, strategies, and clarity are common in PWE. Anxiety, suicidal ideation, neuroticism, alexithymia, and emotion dysregulation had a negative impact on quality of life. Each of these are important for psychosocial wellbeing of our patients and must be questioned considering their effects on quality of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahide Mail Gurkan
- Neurology Department of Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Gaziosmanpasa, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Yıldızhan Sengul
- Neurology Department of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Çanakkale, Turkey
| | - Tugce Guven Ekiz
- Neurology Department of Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Gaziosmanpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aygul Tantik Pak
- Neurology Department of Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Gaziosmanpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
120
|
Zhao Y, Zhang L, Rütgen M, Sladky R, Lamm C. Effective connectivity reveals distinctive patterns in response to others' genuine affective experience of disgust. Neuroimage 2022; 259:119404. [PMID: 35750254 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy is significantly influenced by the identification of others' emotions. In a recent study, we have found increased activation in the anterior insular cortex (aIns) that could be attributed to affect sharing rather than perceptual saliency, when seeing another person genuinely experiencing pain as opposed to merely acting to be in pain. In that prior study, effective connectivity between aIns and the right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG) was revealed to represent what another person really feels. In the present study, we used a similar paradigm to investigate the corresponding neural signatures in the domain of empathy for disgust - with participants seeing others genuinely sniffing unpleasant odors as compared to pretending to smell something disgusting (in fact the disgust expressions in both conditions were acted for reasons of experimental control). Consistent with the previous findings on pain, we found stronger activations in aIns associated with affect sharing for genuine disgust (inferred) compared with pretended disgust. However, instead of rSMG we found engagement of the olfactory cortex. Using dynamic causal modeling (DCM), we estimated the neural dynamics of aIns and the olfactory cortex between the genuine and pretended conditions. This revealed an increased excitatory modulatory effect for genuine disgust compared to pretended disgust. For genuine disgust only, brain-to-behavior regression analyses highlighted a link between the observed modulatory effect and a few empathic traits. Altogether, the current findings complement and expand our previous work, by showing that perceptual saliency alone does not explain responses in the insular cortex. Moreover, it reveals that different brain networks are implicated in a modality-specific way when sharing the affective experiences associated with pain vs. disgust.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yili Zhao
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Lei Zhang
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Markus Rütgen
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Ronald Sladky
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Vienna 1010, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
121
|
Romero-Rebollar C, García-Gómez L, Báez-Yáñez MG, Gutiérrez-Aguilar R, Pacheco-López G. Adiposity affects emotional information processing. Front Psychol 2022; 13:879065. [PMID: 36225672 PMCID: PMC9549075 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic associated with severe health and psychological wellbeing impairments expressed by an increased prevalence of affective disorders. Emotional dysfunction is important due to its effect on social performance. The aim of the present narrative review is to provide a general overview of human research exploring emotional information processing in overweight and obese people. Evidence suggests that obesity is associated with an attenuation of emotional experience, contradictory findings about emotion recognition, and scarce research about automatic emotional information processing. Finally, we made some concluding considerations for future research on emotional information processing in overweight and obese people.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Leonor García-Gómez
- School of Psychology, Intercontinental University (UIC), Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Research on Smoking and COPD, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mario G. Báez-Yáñez
- Radiology Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ruth Gutiérrez-Aguilar
- Division of Research, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases: Obesity and Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Pacheco-López
- Health Sciences Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Lerma, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Gustavo Pacheco-López,
| |
Collapse
|
122
|
Vignola-Lévesque C, Léveillée S. Intimate Partner Violence and Intimate Partner Homicide: Development of a Typology Based on Psychosocial Characteristics. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP15874-NP15898. [PMID: 34076551 PMCID: PMC9682500 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211021989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains an important and alarming global issue. Studies have put forth different profiles of perpetrators of IPV according to the severity of the violence and the presence of psychopathology. The objective of this study was to develop a typology of perpetrators of IPV and intimate partner homicide (IPH) according to their criminological, situational, and psychological characteristics, such as alexithymia. Alexithymia is when a person has difficulty identifying and describing emotions and in distinguishing feelings from bodily sensations of emotional arousal. Data were collected from 67 male perpetrators of IPV and/or homicide. Cluster analyses suggest four profiles: the homicial abandoned partner (19.4%), the generally angry/aggressive partner (23.9%), the controlling violent partner (34.3%), and the unstable dependent partner (22.4%). Comparative analyses show that the majority of the homicidal abandoned partners had committed IPH, had experienced the breakup of a relationship, and had a history of self-destructive behaviors; the generally angry/aggressive partners were perpetrators of IPV without homicide with a criminal history and who were alexithymic; the controlling violent partners had a criminal lifestyle and committed IPH; and the unstable dependent partners had committed IPV without homicide, were alexithymic, but had no criminal history. Establish a better understanding of the psychological issues within each profile of perpetrators of violence within the couple can help promote the prevention of IPV and can help devise interventions for these individuals.
Collapse
|
123
|
Gaggero G, Dellantonio S, Pastore L, Sng KHL, Esposito G. Shared and unique interoceptive deficits in high alexithymia and neuroticism. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273922. [PMID: 36044535 PMCID: PMC9432684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Interoception is the perception of internal bodily signals. It is considered fundamental to developing emotional awareness. For this reason, interoceptive deficits are often associated with alexithymia, a condition characterized by difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF), and an externally-oriented style of thinking (EOT). Yet, the atypical interoception found in alexithymia might be of a similar type and/or more serious than those found in other partially overlapping constructs that entail emotional difficulties and behavioural patterns associated with specific emotional styles. Our study explores this issue by examining the relationship between the interoceptive deficits associated with alexithymia and the Big Five personality traits. A non-clinical sample (N = 504) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Big Five Inventory and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness. Data were analysed using a network analytic approach that conceives psychological traits as networks of interacting symptoms. The estimated network highlighted that EOT is the alexithymia component least associated with interoception and most associated with lower Openness to Experience. Conversely, DIF and Neuroticism are, respectively, the dimensions of alexithymia and the Big Five most highly associated with interoception. We also compared interoceptive abilities in the four groups of participants whose scores were a) high for both alexithymia and neuroticism, b) high only for alexithymia c), high only for neuroticism, and d) low for both. High alexithymia was especially associated with the tendency to ignore sensations of pain or discomfort, while neuroticism was more indicative of the tendency to worry about these sensations. These results suggest that while high alexithymia and neuroticism share some interoceptive deficits, others are unique to alexithymia and contribute to overall lower interoceptive ability in this condition. Our findings suggest that interventions to enhance awareness of bodily sensations can be beneficial especially for profiles who present high neuroticism and alexithymia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Gaggero
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Sara Dellantonio
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luigi Pastore
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Kelly H. L. Sng
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
124
|
Kachaner A, Lemogne C, Dave J, Ranque B, de Broucker T, Meppiel E. Somatic symptom disorder in patients with post-COVID-19 neurological symptoms: a preliminary report from the somatic study (Somatic Symptom Disorder Triggered by COVID-19). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022; 93:jnnp-2021-327899. [PMID: 36008115 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2021-327899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in patients with unexplained neurological symptoms occurring after SARS-CoV-2 infection, also referred to as long COVID. DESIGN Single-centre observational study. PARTICIPANTS Adult patients experiencing unexplained long-lasting neurological symptoms after mild COVID. Of the 58 consecutive patients referred in our centre, 50 were included. INTERVENTION Patients were contacted for a standardised psychometric evaluation by phone, followed by a self-survey. MAIN OUTCOME Positive diagnosis of SSD according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5). RESULTS Although the patients did not meet the DSM-5 criteria for a functional neurological symptom disorder specifically, SSD diagnosis based on DSM-5 criteria was positive in 32 (64%) patients. In the remaining 18 patients, SSD was considered possible given the high score on diagnostic scales. Physical examination were normal for all. Brain MRI showed unspecific minor white matter hyperintensities in 8/46 patients. Neuropsychological assessment showed exclusively mild impairment of attention in 14 out of 15 tested patients, in discrepancy with their major subjective complaint. Forty-five (90%) patients met criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Seventeen (32%) patients were screened positive for mood-anxiety disorders, 19 (38%) had a history of prior SSD and 27 (54%) reported past trauma. Additional self-survey highlighted post-traumatic stress disorder in 12/43 (28%), high levels of alexithymia traits and perfectionism. Long-lasting symptoms had a major impact with a high rate of insomnia (29/43, 67%), psychiatric follow-up (28/50, 56%) and work or pay loss (25/50, 50%). CONCLUSION A majority of patients with unexplained long-lasting neurological symptoms after mild COVID met diagnostic criteria for SSD and may require specific management. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04889313.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cédric Lemogne
- Psychiatry, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience de Paris, Paris, France
- , Service de Psychiatrie de l'adulte, AP-HP, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France
| | - Julie Dave
- Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de Saint Denis, Saint Denis, France
| | - Brigitte Ranque
- Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine Department, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR S970, Paris, France
| | | | - Elodie Meppiel
- Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de Saint Denis, Saint Denis, France
| |
Collapse
|
125
|
Lyvers M, Truncali J, Stapleton P, Thorberg FA. Alexithymia, reward sensitivity and excessive exercise in non-binge-eaters versus severe binge eaters: Implications for primary and secondary exercise dependence. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 42:1-14. [PMID: 35967495 PMCID: PMC9363868 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03511-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A distinction has been made between primary and secondary exercise dependence, with the latter defined as excessive exercise secondary to disordered eating and weight concerns. Based on theoretical considerations from research on the roles of trait factors in addictions, the present study used validated scales to assess alexithymia, sensitivity to reward and punishment, emotion regulation and interoception in relation to exercise dependence symptoms in Australian male and female non-binge eaters (n = 228) and severe binge eaters (n = 126) aged 18-30 yr. In both groups, exercise dependence symptoms were significantly positively associated with reward sensitivity and interoceptive awareness, with the latter two variables predicting exercise dependence symptoms in hierarchical regression models; punishment sensitivity was significantly negatively related to such symptoms. Alexithymia was significantly associated with exercise dependence symptoms only in non-binge eaters; in severe binge eaters, alexithymia explained 0% of unique variance. Male sex was associated with more exercise dependence symptoms in severe binge eaters only. Participants in the severe binge group scored significantly higher on measures of exercise dependence, alexithymia, risky alcohol use, and sensitivity to reward and punishment, and significantly lower on emotion regulation, compared to those in the non-binge group. Hierarchical regression models explained 25% of variance in exercise dependence symptoms in non-binge-eaters and 43% in severe binge eaters. Findings are discussed in terms of the distinction between primary and secondary exercise dependence, the role of alexithymia, study limitations including data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, and suggestions for future research.
Collapse
|
126
|
Do Individuals with Internet Gaming Disorder Share Personality Traits with Substance-Dependent Individuals? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159536. [PMID: 35954898 PMCID: PMC9368036 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) shares many similarities with substance use disorder (SUD), contributing to its recognition as an addictive disorder. Nevertheless, no study has compared IGD to other addictive disorders in terms of personality traits established as highly co-occurring with SUDs. (2) Methods: We recruited a sample of gamers (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) (MMORPGs) via online in-game forums. We compared 83 individuals with IGD (MMORPG-IGD group) to 47 former heroin addicts under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT; MMT group) with regard to alexithymia, impulsivity, sensation seeking and aggressiveness assessed through self-administered scales, being TAS-20, BIS-10, Z-SSS and BDHI, respectively. (3) Results: Our results draw a relatively similar personality profile between groups but indicate that the subject traits are generally more pronounced in the MMT cohort. The overall lesser intensity of these traits in the MMORPG-IGD group might reflect the greater variability in the severity of the IGD. (4) Conclusions: IGD shares personality traits with MMT, and intensity may be influenced by the severity of the addiction or by certain direct environmental factors, and might also influence the propensity towards one behavior rather than another.
Collapse
|
127
|
Schnabel K, Petzke TM, Witthöft M. The emotion regulation process in somatic symptom disorders and related conditions - A systematic narrative review. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 97:102196. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
128
|
Luo H, Gong X, Chen X, Hu J, Wang X, Sun Y, Li J, Lv S, Zhang X. Exploring the links between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in internet addiction: A network analysis model. Front Psychol 2022; 13:938116. [PMID: 35978791 PMCID: PMC9376254 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia and emotion regulation are closely related to internet addiction. However, no research has examined how the different components of alexithymia are associated with cognitive emotion regulation in the context of multi-strategy use in internet addiction. The current study aimed to investigate the relation between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation in individuals with internet addiction via network analysis. Participants included 560 students with Young’s Internet Addiction Test scores greater than 50 points; they were also asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The results revealed two bridge nodes emerging within the combined alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation network model: “catastrophizing” and “externally oriented thoughts.” These findings indicate a more specific relation between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation and provide empirical evidence for targeted prevention and targeted interventions for internet addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongge Luo
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Xun Gong
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Xiaomei Chen
- The Department of Marxist Teaching, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Jianing Hu
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Yekun Sun
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Jiating Li
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Shaobo Lv
- College of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiujun Zhang,
| |
Collapse
|
129
|
Lyvers M, Kelahroodi M, Udodzik E, Stapleton P, Thorberg FA. Alexithymia and binge eating: Maladaptive emotion regulation strategy or deficient interoception? Appetite 2022; 175:106073. [PMID: 35568089 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia has been linked to various excessive behaviors as a likely risk factor, including binge eating. Such relationships are often attributed to deficient emotional self-regulation in alexithymia, ostensibly leading to the use of maladaptive, externalized behaviors as strategies for coping with distress. An alternative view is that alexithymia reflects a fundamental deficit of interoceptive awareness that, in the case of binge eating, would suggest that internal satiety cues are poorly recognized, promoting overconsumption. The present study assessed the relationship between alexithymia and binge eating in the context of these competing hypotheses. A large online sample of young adults (n = 532) completed validated measures of alexithymia, emotion regulation, interoception, binge eating, emotional eating motivation, and sensitivity to reward and punishment. Correlations were as expected except for interoception, which showed minimal association with alexithymia or binge eating. In a hierarchical regression controlling for age, gender, education level and student status as covariates, binge eating was predicted by emotional eating motivation, emotion regulation (a negative predictor), alexithymia, and reward sensitivity, with the final model explaining 53% of variance in binge eating. Bootstrapped path analyses controlling for all other variables indicated that the relationship between alexithymia and binge eating was mediated by deficient emotion regulation but not deficient interoception, and that the relationships of both alexithymia and emotion regulation with binge eating were mediated by emotional eating motivation. Results are consistent with the notion that the association of alexithymia with binge eating reflects deficient emotion regulation in alexithymia, which can lead to adoption of maladaptive, externalized behaviors such as binge eating for coping with distress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lyvers
- School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4229, Australia.
| | | | - Emily Udodzik
- School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4229, Australia
| | - Peta Stapleton
- School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4229, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
130
|
Stinson J, Wolfe R, Spaulding W. Social Connectedness in Schizotypy: The Role of Cognitive and Affective Empathy. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12080253. [PMID: 35892353 PMCID: PMC9394355 DOI: 10.3390/bs12080253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Social connectedness is increasingly understood to be a resilience factor that moderates vulnerability to poor physical and mental health. This study examines cognitive and affective processes that support normal socialization and social connectedness, and the impact of schizotypy, in well-functioning college students. In this study, a total of 824 college students completed a series of self-report questionnaires, and structural equation modeling was then employed to identify relationships between cognitive and affective empathy, alexithymia, distress tolerance, social connectedness, and schizotypy. Schizotypy is a trait-like condition, presumed to be genetic in origin, associated with the risk for schizophrenia. Like schizophrenia, schizotypy is thought to have three distinct dimensions or categories, termed positive, negative, and disorganized. Results indicate that the respective dimensions of schizotypy have different pathways to social connectedness, through both direct and indirect effects. Positive schizotypy exerts a counterintuitive positive influence on social connectedness, mediated by positive effects on cognitive empathy, but this is obscured by the high correlations between the schizotypal dimensions and the strong negative influences on empathy and social connectedness of the negative and disorganized dimensions, unless all those intercorrelations are taken into account. Overall, the pathways identified by structural equation modeling strongly support the role of empathy in mediating the impact of schizotypy on social connectedness. Implications for the etiology of social impairments in schizotypy, and for interventions to enhance social connectedness to improve quality of life and reduce health disparities in people at risk for severe mental illness, are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Stinson
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (R.W.); (W.S.)
- South Texas Veterans Healthcare System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Rebecca Wolfe
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (R.W.); (W.S.)
| | - Will Spaulding
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (R.W.); (W.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
131
|
Da Costa Silva L, Belrose C, Trousselard M, Rea B, Seery E, Verdonk C, Duffaud AM, Verdonk C. Self-Reported Body Awareness: Validation of the Postural Awareness Scale and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (Version 2) in a Non-clinical Adult French-Speaking Sample. Front Psychol 2022; 13:946271. [PMID: 35959024 PMCID: PMC9362853 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.946271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Body awareness refers to the individual ability to process signals originating from within the body, which provide a mapping of the body’s internal landscape (interoception) and its relation with space and movement (proprioception). The present study aims to evaluate psychometric properties and validate in French two self-report measures of body awareness: the Postural Awareness Scale (PAS), and the last version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness questionnaire (version 2, MAIA-2). We collected data in a non-clinical, adult sample (N = 308; 61% women, mean age 35 ± 12 years) using online survey, and a subset of the original sample (n = 122; 62% women, mean age 44 ± 11 years) also completed the retest control. Factor analyses and reliability analyses were conducted. Construct validity of the PAS and the MAIA-2 were examined by testing their association with each other, and with self-report measures of personality (Big Five Inventory), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and dispositional trait mindfulness (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory). Factor analyses of the PAS supported the same two-factor structure as previously published versions (in other languages). For the MAIA-2, factor analyses suggested that a six-factor structure, excluding Not-Worrying and Not-Distracting factors, could successfully account for a common general factor of self-reported interoception. We found satisfactory internal consistency, construct validity, and reliability over time for both the PAS and the MAIA-2. Altogether, our findings suggest that the French version of the PAS and the MAIA-2 are reliable self-report tools to assess both components of body awareness (proprioception and interoception dimension, respectively).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Da Costa Silva
- Department of Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences, Unit of Neurophysiology of Stress, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Célia Belrose
- Department of Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences, Unit of Neurophysiology of Stress, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Marion Trousselard
- Department of Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences, Unit of Neurophysiology of Stress, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Blake Rea
- Department of Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences, Unit of Neurophysiology of Stress, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Elaine Seery
- Traduction Édition Scientifique, Toulouse, France
| | - Constance Verdonk
- Department of Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology, Bichat-Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Anaïs M. Duffaud
- Department of Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences, Unit of Neurophysiology of Stress, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Charles Verdonk
- Department of Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences, Unit of Neurophysiology of Stress, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- *Correspondence: Charles Verdonk,
| |
Collapse
|
132
|
Ersöğütçü F, Kargin M. The relationship between self-esteem and alexithymia in individuals with substance use disorders. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2098840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Filiz Ersöğütçü
- Faculty of Health Science Nursing Department, Firat University, Elazığ, Turkey
| | - Maral Kargin
- Faculty of Health Science Nursing Department, Cyprus Science University, Kyrenia, Cyprus
| |
Collapse
|
133
|
Falter-Wagner CM, Bloch C, Burghof L, Lehnhardt FG, Vogeley K. Autism traits outweigh alexithymia traits in the explanation of mentalising performance in adults with autism but not in adults with rejected autism diagnosis. Mol Autism 2022; 13:32. [PMID: 35804399 PMCID: PMC9264711 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00510-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pronounced alexithymia traits have been found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and recent research has been carving out the impact alexithymia traits might have on mentalising deficits associated with ASD. Method In this cross-sectional study, a large representative referral population for diagnostic examination for possible ASD (n = 400) was screened for clinical alexithymia with a German version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RME). In contrast to previous attempts to carve out the impact of alexithymia traits on mentalising deficits though, we employed dominance analysis to account for the correlation between predictors. The relative relationship between alexithymia traits and autism traits with RME performance was investigated in the group of individuals with confirmed ASD diagnosis (N = 281) and compared to the clinical referral sample in which ASD was ruled out (N = 119). Results Dominance analysis revealed autism traits to be the strongest predictor for reduced mentalising skills in the ASD sample, whereas alexithymia contributed significantly less. In the sample of individuals with ruled out diagnosis, autism traits were the strongest predictor, but alexithymia traits were in sum equally associated to mentalising, with the External-Oriented Thinking subscale as an important predictor of this association. Limitations It needs to be considered that the cross-sectional study design does not allow for causal inference. Furthermore, mentalising is a highly facetted capacity and measurements need to reduce this complexity into simple quantities which limits the generalizability of results. Discussion While alexithymia traits should be considered for their mental health importance, they do not dominate the explanation of reduced mentalising skills in individuals with ASD, but they might do to a larger degree in individuals with ruled out ASD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00510-9.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Falter-Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Carola Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lana Burghof
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fritz-Georg Lehnhardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
134
|
Zhang Y, Liang T, Gan X, Zheng X, Li H, Zhang J. Social Self-Efficacy and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese Undergraduates: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia and the Moderating Role of Empathy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:898554. [PMID: 35865686 PMCID: PMC9294543 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.898554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As an increasingly serious social problem, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) of college students may be related to their social self-efficacy. However, the relationship and its internal mechanisms underlying are still unclear. The current study tested the mediating effect of alexithymia in the association between social self-efficacy and IGD, and whether this mediating process was moderated by empathy. Social Self-Efficacy Scale (PSSE), Chinese version of Internet Game Addiction Scale (IGAS-C), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Interpersonal Response Scale (IRI-C) were adopted to examine the model on 888 Chinese college students. The results indicated that social self-efficacy was significantly negatively associate with IGD. Mediation analysis illustrated that alexithymia mediated the association between social self-efficacy and IGD. Further, moderated mediation analysis manifested that the mediated effects was stronger for lower level of empathy. The conclusions corroborate and clarify the mechanisms that alexithymia mediated the association between social self-efficacy and IGD, and the mediation effects is moderated via empathy. Besides, these findings provide available references for colleges to conduct educational activities, and at the same time provide scientific suggestions for preventing IGD among undergraduates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiong Gan
- Department of Psychology, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
135
|
Wang KYH, Kealy D, Cox DW. A Pathway to Meaning in Life: Early Parental Support, Attachment, and the Moderating Role of Alexithymia. JOURNAL OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10804-022-09418-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
136
|
Psychometric properties of the emotional processing scale in individuals with psychiatric symptoms and the development of a brief 15-item version. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10456. [PMID: 35729355 PMCID: PMC9213431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14712-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The 25-item Emotional Processing Scale (EPS) can be used with clinical populations, but there is little research on its psychometric properties (factor structure, test–retest reliability, and validity) in individuals with psychiatric symptoms. We administered the EPS-25 to a large sample of people (N = 512) with elevated psychiatric symptoms. We used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate three a priori models from previous research and then evaluated discriminant and convergent validity against measures of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionaire-9), and anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). None of the a priori models achieved acceptable fit, and subsequent exploratory factor analysis did not yield a clear factor solution for the 25 items. A 5-factor model did, however, achieve acceptable fit when we retained only 15 items, and this solution was replicated in a validation sample. Convergent and discriminant validity for this revised version, the EPS-15, was r = − 0.19 to 0.46 vs. TAS-20, r = 0.07− 0.25 vs. PHQ-9, and r = 0.29− 0.57 vs. GAD-7. Test–retest reliability was acceptable (ICC = 0.73). This study strengthens the case for the reliability and validity of the 5-factor structure of the EPS but suggest that only 15 items should be retained. Future studies should further examine the reliability and validity of the EPS-15.
Collapse
|
137
|
Zhang L, Xuan R, Chen Q, Zhao Q, Shi Z, Du J, Zhu C, Yu F, Ji G, Wang K. High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation modulates eye gaze on emotional faces in college students with alexithymia: An eye-tracking study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 116:110521. [PMID: 35104607 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical eye gaze on emotional faces is a core feature of alexithymia. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is considered to be the neurophysiological basis of alexithymia-related emotional face fixation. Our aim was to examine whether anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) administered to the right (r)IFG would facilitate eye gaze of emotional faces in alexithymia individuals. METHOD Forty individuals with alexithymia were equally assigned to anodal or sham HD-tDCS of the rIFG according to the principle of randomization. The individuals then completed a free-viewing eye tracking task (including happy, sad, and neutral faces) before and after 5 consecutive days of stimulation (twice a day). RESULTS The results showed that twice a day anodal HD-tDCS of the rIFG significantly increased the fixation time and fixation count of the eye area on happy and neutral faces, but there was no significant effect on sad faces. According to the temporal-course analysis, after the intervention, the fixation time on neutral faces increased significantly at almost all time points of the eye tracking task. For happy faces, the improvement was demonstrated between 500 and 1000 ms and between 2500 and 3500 ms. For sad faces, the fixation time improved but not significantly. CONCLUSIONS Applying high-dose anodal HD-tDCS to the rIFG selectively facilitated eye gaze in the eye area of neutral and happy faces in individuals with alexithymia, which may improve their face processing patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Rongrong Xuan
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qiuyu Chen
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qingqing Zhao
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zhulin Shi
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jinmei Du
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Chunyan Zhu
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - FengQiong Yu
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Gongjun Ji
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230032, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China.
| |
Collapse
|
138
|
Oka T, Lkhagvasuren B. Effects of practicing yoga on alexisomia: an open-label trial. Biopsychosoc Med 2022; 16:14. [PMID: 35659341 PMCID: PMC9166595 DOI: 10.1186/s13030-022-00243-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexisomia refers to difficulties in the awareness and expression of somatic feelings. This idea was proposed by Dr. Yujiro Ikemi as a characteristic observed in patients with psychosomatic diseases and is based on his observations that patients with psychosomatic diseases have difficulty in the awareness and expression of not only their emotions, i.e., alexithymia, but also somatic feelings and sensations, i.e., alexisomia. He also proposed that treating alexisomia is important in the treatment of psychosomatic diseases and that yoga might help improve alexisomia. However, no study has investigated if yoga actually affects alexisomia. This open-label pilot study investigated whether practicing yoga in a class results in change in patients with alexisomia and alexithymia. METHODS The Shitsu-taikan-sho Scale (STSS) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were administered to 305 participants, including 64 healthy participants, 111 participants who had subjective symptoms without abnormal findings, and 130 participants with chronic diseases. Participants were tested before and 3 months after attending yoga classes. RESULTS Yoga practice reduced the STSS and the TAS-20 difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF) subscale scores. Multiple linear regression indicated that a reduction in the TAS-20 DIF subscale scores predicted a decrease in the STSS score, whereas reductions in the STSS difficulty in identifying bodily feelings (DIB) and the lack of health management based on bodily feelings (LHM) subscale scores predicted a decrease in the TAS-20 scores. CONCLUSION We found that regular yoga practice improves alexisomia. Yoga-induced improvement of alexisomia may be mediated, at least in part, by an improvement of DIF in alexithymia. Yoga would be a promising therapeutic approach to improve alexisomia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takakazu Oka
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital, 852 Hatakeda, Narita, Chiba, 286-8520, Japan.
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Battuvshin Lkhagvasuren
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital, 852 Hatakeda, Narita, Chiba, 286-8520, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
139
|
Uzun G, Lok N. Effect of emotional awareness skills training on emotional awareness and communication skills in patients with schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2022; 38:14-20. [PMID: 35461642 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study was conducted to examine the effect of emotional awareness skills training on emotional awareness and communication skills in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS This randomized controlled trial was conducted with 44 patients with schizophrenia (22 in the intervention group and 22 in the control group) registered at a community mental health center. The personal information form, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and communication skills scale-adult form were used to collect patient data. The emotional awareness skills training was implemented once a week for 8 weeks. RESULTS After the training, the mean scores of the "Difficulty Identifying Feelings" and "Difficulty Describing Feelings" subscales of TAS-20 decreased and the mean scores of the communication skills scale-adult form increased in the intervention group; the difference between the groups was statistically significant. While there was no difference between the groups in the initial measurements, a significant difference was found between the mean scores of "Difficulty Identifying Feelings" and "Difficulty Describing Feelings" in the intervention group and a significant difference was found in both groups between the subscales of "Basic Skills and Personal (Self) Expression", "Willingness to Communicate", "Caring Communication" and "Active Listening and Non-Verbal Communication" and the total mean score after the intervention. CONCLUSION Based on the study results, it can be concluded that emotional awareness skills training is an effective psychiatric nursing intervention that improves emotional awareness and communication skills. NCT05038927.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gülten Uzun
- Selcuk University, Health Sciences Institute, Department of Nursing, 42130 Konya, Turkey.
| | - Neslihan Lok
- Selcuk University, Nursing Faculty, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, 42130 Konya, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
140
|
Zhu S, Qing Y, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Ding F, Zhang R, Yao S, Kendrick KM, Zhao W. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation increases eye-gaze on salient facial features and oxytocin release. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14107. [PMID: 35638321 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Non-invasive, transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (taVNS) via the ear is used therapeutically in epilepsy, pain, and depression, and may also have beneficial effects on social cognition. However, the underlying mechanisms of taVNS are unclear and evidence regarding its role in social cognition improvement is limited. To investigate the impact of taVNS on social cognition we have studied its effects on gaze toward emotional faces in combination with eye-tracking and on the release of the neuropeptide oxytocin which plays a key role in influencing social cognition and motivation. A total of 54 subjects were enrolled (49 were included in the final analysis) in a sham-controlled, participant-blind, crossover experiment, consisting of two treatment sessions 1 week apart. In one session participants received 30-min taVNS (tragus), and in the other, they received 30-min sham (earlobe) stimulation with the treatment order counterbalanced. The proportion of time spent viewing the faces and facial features (eyes, nose, and mouth) was measured together with resting pupil size. Additionally, saliva samples were taken for the measurement of oxytocin concentrations by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Saliva oxytocin concentrations increased significantly after taVNS compared to sham stimulation, while resting pupil size did not. In addition, taVNS increased time spent viewing the nose region irrespective of face emotion, and this was positively correlated with increased saliva oxytocin concentrations. Our findings suggest that taVNS biases visual attention toward socially salient facial features across different emotions and this is associated with its effects on increasing endogenous oxytocin release.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Zhu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanan Qing
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Fangyuan Ding
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
141
|
Petersson S, Årestedt K, Birgegård A. Evaluation of the Affect School as supplementary treatment of Swedish women with eating disorders: a randomized clinical trial. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:76. [PMID: 35637512 PMCID: PMC9153112 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00596-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite solid research there remains a large group of patients with eating disorders who do not recover. Emotion dysregulation has been shown to be a feature in the different eating disorders. A manualized group intervention developed in Sweden, the Affect School, aims to enhance emotional awareness and the ability to perceive and express emotions. AIM This study aimed to test the hypothesis that participation in the Affect School as a complement to ordinary eating disorder treatment would enhance awareness and regulation of emotions and reduce alexithymia and cognitive eating disorder symptoms in a sample of patients with eating disorders at a Swedish specialized outpatient clinic. METHOD Forty patients with various eating disorders were randomized to either participation in the Affect School as a supplement to treatment as usual (TAU), or to a TAU control group. Participants were assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Deficits in Emotion Regulation Scale-36, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 at start, end of intervention, and at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS No significant differences were observed post-treatment but Affect School participants had improved significantly more than controls on eating disorder cognitions and behaviours and emotion dysregulation at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups and had significantly less alexithymia at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION Difficulties with emotion recognition and/or regulation can complicate fulfilment of personal needs and obstruct communication and relationships with others. The present study indicates that adding Affect School group sessions to regular treatment enhances emotional awareness and emotion regulation and decreases eating disorder symptoms and alexithymia. Patients with eating disorder diagnoses have described problems with emotional management, for example: lower emotional awareness and difficulties in using adaptive emotional regulatory strategies compared to people without eating disorders. It has been suggested that interventions aiming at enhancing emotional awareness and acceptance would be beneficial in treatment. In the present study we explored whether adding the Affect School to regular treatment would enhance awareness and regulation of emotions and decrease eating disorder symptoms. Forty women with an eating disorder were randomly allocated to either an additional participation in a group treatment for 8 weeks or usual treatment only. The treatment contained education on different affects such as joy, fear, interest, shame, anger, disgust, and worry. The education was followed by discussions on own experiences. Participants filled in self-assessment forms that measured eating disorder symptoms, emotional recognition, and emotion regulation before the start and at the end of the group treatment, and after 6 and 12 months respectively. The results when comparing the two groups suggested that the Affect School could be an effective additional treatment. Participants in the Affect School improved their scorings but the change took time and did not show until at the 6- and 12 months follow-ups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Petersson
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kalmar Regional Council, Hus 13, plan 7, Länssjukhuset, 391 85, Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Kristofer Årestedt
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
- Department of Research, Region Kalmar County, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Andreas Birgegård
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
142
|
Kliem S, Zenger M, Beller J, Brähler E, Ernst M. [Psychometric Properties of a Short Alexithymia Scale (SAS-3) in the German General Population]. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 2022; 72:329-334. [PMID: 35584777 DOI: 10.1055/a-1785-5644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The literature on alexithymia has multiplied in recent decades as the construct has important implications for mental health. The so far used inventories are of limited use in epidemiological research, primary care, and other clinical settings where time and effort are important factors in assessment. Based on items of the authorized German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the aim of this study was to develop an ultra-short questionnaire for a condensed and unidimensional assessment of alexithymia. METHODS Criteria for the abbreviated scale were: (a) one-dimensionality (necessary to calculate a global score), (b) one item from each of the originally postulated dimensions, and (c) no reverse-coded items (to avoid method artifacts). Data were drawn from two nationwide representative population surveys in Germany: a survey conducted in 1996 to develop the SAS-3 (N=2.047); and a survey conducted in 2013 (N=2.508) for the evaluation and calculation of SAS-3 percentiles. RESULTS Reasonable correlations between the SAS-3 and the PHQ-2, the GAD-2, and the GBB-8 were observed. Based on a confirmatory factor analysis, the one-dimensionality of the SAS-3 could be confirmed, achieving very good fit indices. An additional invariance analysis regarding gender and different age groups resulted in (partial) strict invariance for the different multi-group analyses. Percentile ranks for SAS-3 sum score are reported stratified by gender and by age groups. CONCLUSIONS The SAS-3 appears to be suitable in epidemiological research and other instances requiring an economical assessment of alexithymia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sören Kliem
- Fachbereich für Sozialwissenschaften, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Zenger
- Fachbereich Angewandte Humanwissenschaften, Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal, Magdeburg, Germany.,Integriertes Forschungs- und Behandlungszentrum Adipositaserkrankungen, Forschungsbereich Verhaltensmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Lepzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes Beller
- Medizinische Soziologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elmar Brähler
- Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mareike Ernst
- Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
143
|
Di Consiglio M, Merola S, Satta C, Pascucci T, Violani C, Couyoumdjian A. NoiBene, a Group Intervention for Promoting Mental Health Among University Students: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Psychol 2022; 13:877340. [PMID: 35602731 PMCID: PMC9120589 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.877340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
University students’ mental health has become a public health issue since increasingly students report high levels of psychological distress. Mental health difficulties influence students’ lives, such as academic performance, relationships satisfaction, and quality of life. Moreover, different kinds of obstacles often hinder help-seeking behavior. Such evidence strongly suggests the need to implement prevention and promotion strategies to increase health and well-being in educational contexts. This article presents a study protocol for implementing and evaluating NoiBene, an evidence-based group intervention that aims to promote mental health and well-being, improve a series of transversal competencies (e.g., emotional awareness, commitment to values, assertiveness, goal setting), and decrease dysfunctional transdiagnostic mechanisms (i.e., perfectionism, repetitive thinking, experiential avoidance). A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the protocol’s efficacy. Participants will be assigned to one of the three conditions: the NoiBene Group condition (NB-G), the NoiBene guided web-based condition (NB-WB), or the waiting list condition (WLC). The NB-G intervention consists of six face-to-face group meetings, each dedicated to specific issues related to well-being or vulnerabilities. Every meeting includes an explanation of the theoretical contents, individual and group exercises, and role-plays. The NB-WB intervention covers the same topic addressed in the NB-G intervention. In this case, participants carry out a series of online modules, including theoretical explanations, practical exercises, useful activities, and self-monitoring tools. Students will individually meet the Tutor once every 2 weeks. The primary outcome will include an increase in mental health and well-being. Secondary outcomes will include changes in emotional awareness, assertiveness, perfectionism, rumination, worry, self-criticism, experiential avoidance, and academic performance and satisfaction. We expect that participants in both NoiBene conditions will show these outcomes. However, we hypothesized that the NB-G conditions will be more effective than the NB-WB in improving assertiveness. Besides treatment efficacy, we expect that students can benefit from the NB-G or NB-WB differently based on their specific behavioral and motivational patterns. Outcomes will be assessed at pre-, post-intervention and 6-months follow-up. In conclusion, we believe that NoiBene is a promising tool that can improve students’ well-being, and it could have positive implications for preventing mental health disorders among students.
Collapse
|
144
|
Weak Hand Grip Strength Is Associated with Alexithymia in Outpatients in a Mexican Population. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050576. [PMID: 35624963 PMCID: PMC9138985 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hand grip strength has been considered as a possible marker for metabolic and psychiatric disease. To date, however, no research has focused on the association between alexithymia and hand grip strength. The objective of the present study was to investigate the correct association between hand grip strength and alexithymia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Comalcalco, Tabasco, México. A total of 246 individuals were included. Hand grip strength was evaluated in the dominant hand using a Takei® portable digital dynamometer. Alexithymia was measured using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Two linear regression models adjusted by confounders were used to determine the association between alexithymia and hand grip strength. The rate for positive alexithymia was 39.0% (n = 94). Individuals with alexithymia showed a weaker hand grip strength than the comparison group (t = 2.4, 244 df, p = 0.01). Individuals with alexithymia had significantly reduced levels of hand grip strength (β = −0.39 ± 0.14; p = 0.006); after additional adjustment for clinical variables, decreased hand grip strength remained (β = 8.00 ± 1.86; p ≤ 0.001). Our results suggest that a decrease in hand grip strength could be associated with alexithymia. This measurement could be useful as a predictive marker for the identification of alexithymia in Mexican individuals who attend outpatient clinics.
Collapse
|
145
|
Davidson D, Morales D. Associations Between Autism Symptomatology, Alexithymia, Trait Emotional Intelligence, and Adjustment to College. Front Psychol 2022; 13:813450. [PMID: 35572317 PMCID: PMC9096698 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.813450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been asserted that the socio-emotional challenges associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be explained, in part, by the higher rates of alexithymia in individuals with autism. Alexithymia refers to difficulties in identifying one's own emotional states and describing those states to others. Thus, one goal of the present study was to examine levels of alexithymia in relation to ASD symptomatology and trait emotion intelligence (EI). Trait EI is a multifaceted concept that captures emotional competencies and behavioral dispositions A second goal was to assess whether alexithymia, ASD symptomatology and trait EI served as significant predictors of adjustment to college, including academic, social, and personal-emotional adjustment. In addition to keeping with the spectrum nature of autism, our research strategy allowed us to capture those students who may not have received a formal diagnosis of ASD but report symptoms that can be indicative of ASD. This includes women, who are less likely to receive a diagnosis of ASD even when ASD symptomatology is present. The results of the study showed that students reporting higher levels of ASD symptomatology also reported significantly higher levels of alexithymia and lower trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) than those with less or no symptomatology. Alexithymia was also negatively related to trait EI, and both alexithymia and ASD symptomatology were found to be significant predictors of trait EI. However, only trait EI was a significant predictor of adjustment to college and only for social adjustment. These findings suggest that support programs that develop trait EI skills may improve the college experience for students with ASD, regardless of alexithymia or ASD symptomatology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denise Davidson
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
146
|
Mannarini S, Kleinbub JR. Parental-Bonding and Alexithymia in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa, Their Parents, and Siblings. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:123. [PMID: 35621420 PMCID: PMC9137782 DOI: 10.3390/bs12050123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) patients and their family-members share alexithymia, anxiety, depression, and other psychological symptoms, in the context of altered attachment. These domains have been individually studied in the context of eating disorders; few attempts have been made to study their interaction, especially including family members. In this study, alexithymia, parental-bonding, and psychopathology were assessed in 32 Italian families consisting of an adolescent AN patient, a sibling, and their parents. We aimed to (a) describe a sample of Italian families with a child affected by AN, notably including siblings; (b) investigate interactions between assessed constructs in patients and their siblings; and (c) investigate possible intergenerational effects. Results showed high alexithymia and psychopathological symptoms in patients but not in siblings, although the latter reported high obsession-compulsion and paranoid ideation scores. Patients' and siblings' alexithymia correlated with psychopathology. Parents reported generally low alexithymia. Perceived parental bonding was found to be suboptimal in most participants, yet no clear relationship was found between specific parenting styles and other measured traits, nor did we find any other relevant intergenerational effect. Anorexia nervosa implies psychological difficulties for all family members. Siblings' psychopathological traits are especially concerning and currently understudied. Implications for future research and clinical interventions are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Mannarini
- Interdepartmental Center for Family Research (CIRF), University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy;
- Section of Applied Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy
| | - Johann Roland Kleinbub
- Interdepartmental Center for Family Research (CIRF), University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy;
- Section of Applied Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 14-35131 Padova, PD, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
147
|
Proença Lopes C, Allado E, Essadek A, Poussel M, Henry A, Albuisson E, Hamroun A, Chenuel B. Occurrence of Alexithymia and Its Association with Sports Practice from a Sample of University Students: Results from a French Cross-Sectional Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10050788. [PMID: 35627924 PMCID: PMC9141175 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10050788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of alexithymia in a sample of university students and to determine its association with specific sports practice characteristics (competition and training). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric data and characteristics of sport practice were collected, as well as level of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, (TAS-20)). Results: The study included 253 French university students who completed a questionnaire specifying their regular sports practice and level of alexithymia (TAS-20). We found 76 subjects (30%) who had proven alexithymia and 92 (36.4%) who were borderline alexithymic. A significant positive relationship between alexithymia and the weekly amount of training practice was observed. It should be noted that students who engage in more than 5 h of physical activity are more prone to be borderline or alexithymic (respectively, 19.6 and 19.7% versus 7.1% for non-alexithymics; p = 0.03). Conclusion: With a 30% frequency, alexithymia is more prevalent in this context than in the general population. Furthermore, alexithymia and borderline alexithymia are most favorably associated with higher physical activity (over 5 h per week).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Proença Lopes
- Development, Adaptation and Disadvantage, Cardiorespiratory Regulations and Motor Control (EA 3450 DevAH), University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France; (E.A.); (M.P.); (B.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-6-12-21-87-42
| | - Edem Allado
- Development, Adaptation and Disadvantage, Cardiorespiratory Regulations and Motor Control (EA 3450 DevAH), University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France; (E.A.); (M.P.); (B.C.)
- Center of Sports Medicine and Adapted Physical Activity, CHRU-Nancy, University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Aziz Essadek
- INTERPSY (EA 4432), University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France;
| | - Mathias Poussel
- Development, Adaptation and Disadvantage, Cardiorespiratory Regulations and Motor Control (EA 3450 DevAH), University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France; (E.A.); (M.P.); (B.C.)
- Center of Sports Medicine and Adapted Physical Activity, CHRU-Nancy, University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Audrey Henry
- Cognition, Health and Society Laboratory, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51571 Reims, France;
| | - Eliane Albuisson
- Institut Elie-Cartan de Lorraine, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France;
| | - Aghilès Hamroun
- Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Economics and Prevention, Regional and University Hospital Center of Lille, Lille University, 59000 Lille, France;
| | - Bruno Chenuel
- Development, Adaptation and Disadvantage, Cardiorespiratory Regulations and Motor Control (EA 3450 DevAH), University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France; (E.A.); (M.P.); (B.C.)
- Center of Sports Medicine and Adapted Physical Activity, CHRU-Nancy, University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France
| |
Collapse
|
148
|
Hamdan-Mansour AM, Alsalman ET, Hamaideh SH, El-Kurdy R, Hamdan-Mansour LA. Psychological Predictors of Fibromyalgia Among High School Students. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2022; 60:19-25. [PMID: 35412876 DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20220325-04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine prediction power of psychological factors (i.e., alexithymia and psychological distress) on fibromyalgia among high school students. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Data related to alexithymia, psychological distress, and fibromyalgia were collected from 483 high school students from the northern part of Jordan using stratified cluster random sampling. Results showed that psychological distress is a significant predictor of fibromyalgia (odds ratio = 1.1, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between males and females in relation to alexithymia (t = -4.87, p < 0.001), psychological distress (t = -6.0, p < 0.001), and fibromyalgia (χ2 = 4.14, p = 0.04, phi = 0.07). Age was only significantly correlated with alexithymia (r = 0.06, p < 0.05). Given the relationship among psychological distress, alexithymia, and fibromyalgia, mental health professionals should carefully observe psychological disturbances among high school students. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(xx), xx-xx.].
Collapse
|
149
|
Ciesinski NK, Drabick DAG, McCloskey MS. A latent class analysis of intermittent explosive disorder symptoms. J Affect Disord 2022; 302:367-375. [PMID: 35101522 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.01.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED), the sole diagnosis in the DSM-5 for which the cardinal symptom is recurrent affective aggressive outbursts, is a common and substantially impairing disorder. IED is also associated with several cognitive and affective impairments. However, little is known about the heterogeneity of the disorder and how this may correspond to aggression severity and related adverse outcomes. The current study employed a latent class analysis (LCA) among individuals diagnosed with lifetime DSM-5 IED to derive distinct subgroups that differed in the quality and/or frequency of cognitive-affective symptoms. These subgroups were then externally validated on a number of adverse outcomes. Statistical and clinical indicators supported a four-class model. Classes were distinguished mainly by the level of emotion dysregulation participants endorsed, with two moderate emotion dysregulation classes differing on their emotional information processing and impulsive tendencies. The external validation analysis revealed that classes differed in terms of various adverse outcomes (e.g., interpersonal problems, life satisfaction, suicide risk). Overall, the present study suggests distinct cognitiveaffective symptom profiles among those with IED that differ meaningfully with regard to risk for adverse outcomes. These findings provide evidence of the heterogeneity within IED and may suggest a more personalized therapeutic approach to patients with IED.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole K Ciesinski
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall Room 551, 1701 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, Pennsylvania.
| | - Deborah A G Drabick
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall Room 551, 1701 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael S McCloskey
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall Room 551, 1701 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
150
|
Poor respiratory health outcomes associated with high illness worry and alexithymia: Eleven-year prospective cohort study among the working-age population. J Psychosom Res 2022; 155:110751. [PMID: 35152185 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Poor respiratory health outcomes have been associated with poorer physical health and higher psychological distress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether illness worry, alexithymia or low sense of coherence predict i) the onset of new respiratory disease, ii) respiratory symptoms or iii) lung function among the working-age population, independently of comorbidity mood-, anxiety, or alcohol abuse disorders. METHODS The study was conducted among a nationally representative sample of the Finnish population (BRIF8901) aged 30-54 years (N = 2310) in 2000-2001 and was followed up in 2011. Individuals with a diagnosed respiratory disease or a severe psychiatric disorder at baseline were excluded. Lung function was measured by a spirometry test and psychiatric disorders were diagnosed using a structured clinical interview. Structured questionnaires were used to measure self-reported respiratory symptoms and diseases, illness worry, alexithymia, and sense of coherence. RESULTS High illness worry predicted an 11-year incidence of asthma (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.09-1.99, p = 0.01). Alexithymia predicted shortness of breath (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.13-1.53, p < 0.01) and 11-year incidence of COPD (OR 2.84, 95% CI 1.37-5.88, p < 0.01), even after several adjustments for physical and mental health. Psychological dispositions did not associate with lung function in 2011. CONCLUSIONS In the general population, psychological factors that modify health behaviour predicted adverse respiratory health outcomes independently of lung function after 11 years of follow-up. This indicates that considering them part of personalized treatment planning is important for promoting health-related behaviour among the working-age population.
Collapse
|