Alexithymia and schizophrenias

Psychopathology. 1995;28(5):263-72. doi: 10.1159/000284937.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to verify whether an increasing degree of alexithymia correlates with a prevalence of negative over positive symptoms. The framework of the research is phenomenologically oriented conception of the illness-coping vulnerability paradigm. Schizophrenic basic symptoms as markers of schizotropic process activity were assessed with the Frankfurter Beschwerde-Fragebogen, and cognitive features of the personological matrix were investigated using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Our findings on a sample of 20 longitudinally followed outpatients advocate the hypothesis that among those factors characterizing the tendency towards the nonparanoid prototype of schizophrenia, impairment of language capacity and alexithymia may have a relevant role.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Affective Symptoms / diagnosis
  • Affective Symptoms / psychology*
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Inventory
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Schizophrenia / diagnosis*
  • Schizophrenic Language
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Thinking