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Preece DA, Petrova K, Mehta A, Sikka P, Gross JJ. Alexithymia or general psychological distress? Discriminant validity of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire. J Affect Disord 2024; 352:140-145. [PMID: 38320659 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is an important transdiagnostic risk factor for emotion-based psychopathologies. However, it remains unclear whether alexithymia questionnaires actually measure alexithymia, or whether they measure emotional distress. Our aim here was to address this discriminant validity concern via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ). METHOD United States general community adults (N = 508) completed the TAS-20, PAQ, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). EFA was used to examine the latent dimensions underlying these measures' scores. RESULTS Our EFA extracted two higher-order factors, an "alexithymia" factor and a "general distress" factor (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). All PAQ scores loaded cleanly on the alexithymia factor, with no cross-loadings on the distress factor. However, for the TAS-20, Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF) facet scores cross-loaded highly on the distress factor. LIMITATIONS Our sample consisted of general community adults; future work in clinical settings will be useful. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that the PAQ has good discriminant validity. However, the TAS-20 appears to have significant discriminant validity problems, in that much of the variance in its DIF facet reflects people's current levels of distress, rather than alexithymia. The TAS-20, which has traditionally been the most widely used alexithymia questionnaire, may therefore not be the optimal alexithymia tool. Our findings add to the body of evidence supporting the validity and utility of the PAQ and suggest that, moving forward, it is a superior option to the TAS-20 for alexithymia assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Preece
- Curtin University, Curtin enAble Institute & School of Population Health, Perth, Australia; The University of Western Australia, School of Psychological Science, Perth, Australia.
| | - Kate Petrova
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Ashish Mehta
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Pilleriin Sikka
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Finland; University of Turku, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Finland; University of Skövde, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, Sweden
| | - James J Gross
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America
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Oliva V, De Prisco M, Fico G, Possidente C, Fortea L, Montejo L, Anmella G, Hidalgo-Mazzei D, Grande I, Murru A, Fornaro M, de Bartolomeis A, Dodd A, Fanelli G, Fabbri C, Serretti A, Vieta E, Radua J. Correlation between emotion dysregulation and mood symptoms of bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2023; 148:472-490. [PMID: 37740499 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion dysregulation (ED) is a transdiagnostic construct characterized by difficulties regulating intense emotions. People with bipolar disorder (BD) are more likely to show ED and use maladaptive emotion regulation strategies than adaptive ones. However, little is known about whether ED in BD is a trait or it is rather an epiphenomenon of mood symptoms. METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence across major literature databases reporting correlations between measures of emotion regulation (overall ED and different emotion regulation strategies) and measures of depressive and (hypo)manic symptoms in BD from inception until April 12th, 2022. RESULTS Fourteen studies involving 1371 individuals with BD were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which 11 reported quantitative information and were included in the meta-analysis. ED and maladaptive strategies were significantly higher during periods with more severe mood symptoms, especially depressive ones, while adaptive strategies were lower. CONCLUSION ED significantly correlates with BD symptomatology, and it mainly occurs during mood alterations. ED may be a target for specific psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments, according to precision psychiatry. However, further studies are needed, including patients with mood episodes and longitudinal design, to provide more robust evidence and explore the causal direction of the associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Oliva
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michele De Prisco
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Giovanna Fico
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Possidente
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lydia Fortea
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Montejo
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gerard Anmella
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Hidalgo-Mazzei
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iria Grande
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Murru
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michele Fornaro
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Alyson Dodd
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Giuseppe Fanelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chiara Fabbri
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Serretti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Luciani F, Veneziani G, Ciacchella C, Rocchi G, Reho M, Gennaro A, Lai C. Safety at high altitude: the importance of emotional dysregulation on pilots' risk attitudes during flight. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1042283. [PMID: 36591082 PMCID: PMC9800924 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1042283] [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: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aviation psychology is very interested in understanding how personological and psychological variables influence flight performances. Indeed, risk attitudes have been considered as a risk factor for aviation accidents. In this context, emotions and coping style are key variables which could influence concentration by affecting cognition and attention. In addition, the specific training backgrounds seemed to be associated with differences in in-flight accident rates. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between age, sex, flight experience, emotional dysregulation, coping styles, flight licenses, and pilots' risk attitudes. Methods Eighty pilots completed an online survey composed of ad hoc questionnaire for sociodemographic and work-related information's and self-report questionnaires that assessed emotional dysregulation, coping styles, and risk attitudes. Results Results showed that older age and emotional dysregulation were associated with higher risk attitudes in pilots. Moreover, emotional dysregulation seemed to promote worse self-confidence. Ultralight pilots appeared to be more risk-oriented and less self-confident than civil pilots, while more flight experience appeared to favorite greater self-confidence. Discussion In conclusion, the study suggests the importance of promoting interventions based on sharing pilots' difficulties and emotions and promoting safe attitudes with special attention to ultralight pilots, age, and sex differences.
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