Panic disorder and alexithymia: no overlap.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K J Kreutter.
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Alexithymia is conceptualized as both affect-deficit disorder and continuous personality variable. Two-hundred-sixty-four adolescents were surveyed using (1) a core symptom questionnaire for alexithymic state; (2) the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and (3) the Solacing Methods Questionnaire. Three percent were positive for core symptoms and used significantly fewer solacers than matched controls (p = 0.048); the affect-deficit disorder hypothesis is supported. Twenty-three percent were TAS-positive suggesting the need for a trait measure. However, only one of the 8 core symptom subjects was TAS-positive raising a question about the sensitivity of the TAS to the extreme cases on which the alexithymia concept is based. While 62.5% of the matched controls reported using memories for solace, none of the core symptom subjects did; one of the alexithymic's central problems may consist in finding psychological as opposed to action-oriented and physical comfort.
Data gathered in this study are the first-year results of a three-year program evaluation for a drug and alcohol prevention project. One hundred fifty-two 6th graders made up the target group which received instruction using Botvin's life skills training curriculum. Sixty-four additional subjects made up a control group which received no treatment. Both groups were pre- and posttested on the following variables: knowledge about and attitudes toward substances, self-concept, passivity, and locus of control. Results indicated that the program had a significant positive impact on the target subjects' passivity, knowledge about drugs and alcohol, and self-image.
Thirteen alexithymic patients and 13 panic disorder patients were compared with matched controls regarding their use of self-solacing strategies. Whereas the panic disorder group used significantly more (p less than 0.001) solacing objects, activities and sounds than normals, the alexithymic subjects used significantly fewer self-solacing strategies (p less than 0.001). In view of the developmental, clinical and subjective importance of the ability to solace oneself, the hypothesis that alexithymia may, in some cases, represent a basic feeling deficit is supported.