The present investigation describes studies undertaken to determine the effects of association with hospitalized mental patients on the personalities of 32 male college students who were compared to a control group of 24 comparable students who had not been involved in this experience with mental patients. The former demonstrate significant positive change in self-acceptance and in moral judgments concerning sexual and aggressive behaviors. The nature of the companionship experience is examined in order to elucidate the reasons for these changes. The implications of students' associations with mentally ill patients in the type of program described in this paper are considered in terms of their impact on students who will be the future leaders of American society.

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.

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 < 0.001) solacing objects, activities and sounds than normals, the alexithymic subjects used significantly fewer self-solacing strategies (p < 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.

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