Alexithymia and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Dizziness

Abstract

Background: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by deficits in regulating, experiencing and verbalizing emotions and has been assumed to be associated with a tendency to express emotional arousal through somatization. Although such a tendency is often observed in patients with dizziness, the exact relationship of alexithymia to dizziness is not yet known. The aim of this study was to examine alexithymic characteristics in patients with dizziness and its relation to health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Sampling and Methods: We assessed 208 patients from an interdisciplinary center for vertigo and balance disorders for characteristics of alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale), HRQoL (Short-Form 12 Health Survey, SF-12), dizziness (Dizziness Handicap Inventory), depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between alexithymia, dizziness and HRQoL. Results: We found that difficulties in identifying and describing feelings, two important factors of alexithymia, were significantly related to more severe symptoms of dizziness. More pronounced alexithymic characteristics were associated with lower HRQoL, especially in the mental dimension of the SF-12. The results remained significant after controlling for possibly confounding variables such as socioeconomic status and depression. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of affect regulation in patients with dizziness, which is important for the development of psychotherapeutic interventions suitable for alexithymic patients with dizziness.

Serotonin receptor gene (5-HT1A) modulates alexithymic characteristics and attachment orientation

“…It is related to emotion dysregulation (Stasiewicz et al, 2012) and health-related quality of life (von Rimscha et al, 2013). It occurs in up to 50% of psychiatric patients, such as those suffering from depression or somatoform pain (Fukunishi et al, 1992;Burba et al, 2006), and in about 8% of the general population (Honkalampi et al, 2009;Karukivi et al, 2010;Deng et al, 2013).…”

Anxiety and depression in vertigo/dizziness and imbalance

“…Studies of Rimsch et al have reported that the patients with dizziness often have a tendency to alexithymia, which is a difficulty in identifying and describing emotions connected with the expression of emotions primarily through somatic symptoms. The results of the studies showed a correlation between the severity of alexithymia and dizziness, and their significant impact on patients' quality of life [10].…”

“…The development mechanism for psychogenic vertigo/dizziness is traditionally connected with emotional factors (internal conflicts, emotional traumas, stress)factors contributing to the development of mental disorders, mostly anxiety and depression or somatization [4,6,7,10]. Complaints on diarrhoea and imbalance may be the only or predominantly visible manifestation of the patient's mental disorder; if somatic disorders coexist, they do not explain the nature, severity of the symptoms or the level of suffering of the patient and the degree of the patient's preoccupation with the symptoms [5,6,11,12].…”

“…Mechanizm powstawania psychogennych zawrotów głowy tradycyjnie wiąże się z czynnikami emocjonalnymi (konflikty wewnętrzne, urazy emocjonalne, stres), które przyczyniają się do rozwoju zaburzeń psychicznych, głównie lękowych i depresyjnych czy somatyzacyjnych [4,6,7,10]. Skargi na zawroty głowy i zaburzenia równowagi mogą być jedynym lub wyraźnie dominującym przejawem zaburzeń psychicznych pacjenta, a jeśli współistnieją zaburzenia somatyczne, nie wyjaśniają one charakteru, nasilenia objawów, poziomu cierpienia pacjenta i stopnia jego zaabsorbowania objawami [5,6,11,12].…”

“…stwierdzono, że chorzy z zawrotami głowy (o charakterze dizziness) często wykazują tendencję do aleksytymii, czyli trudności w identyfikowaniu i opisywaniu uczuć, którym towarzyszy ekspresja emocji głównie poprzez objawy somatyczne. Wyniki badań wykazały zależność między nasileniem objawów aleksytymii i zawrotów głowy a ich znaczącym wpływem na jakość życia chorych [10].…”