Prevalence and associated factors of alexithymia among medical students: A cross-sectional study from Saudi Arabia

Aljaffer, Mohammed A; Almadani, Ahmad H; Al-Ghamdi, S. A.; Alabdulkarim, Ibrahim M; Albabtain, Mohammed A; Altameem, Rayed M; Almugren, Abdulrahman A; Alomairy, Abdulaziz F; Alghofaily, Abdulaziz A

doi:10.17712/nsj.2022.4.20220049

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The prevalence of alexithymia in the present study was higher than that reported in a previous study finding only 10% of the general population [ 2 ]. In addition, other studies have reported a lower percentage of alexithymia (26.9%) among medical students [ 3 , 4 ]. Furthermore, a study from 8 countries found that 28% of patients with psoriasis experience alexithymia [ 8 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

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Alexithymia and Quality of Life in Saudi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Community-Based Study

Alturki,

Alofisan,

Alsaif

et al. 2024

Med Sci Monit

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Background The endocrine metabolic disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is quite common among women. Women with PCOS show a compromised health-related quality of life (HRQoL), impaired emotional well-being, and alexithymia, a neuropsychological phenomenon conceptualized as difficulty in recognizing and expressing one’s emotions. However, the relationship between alexithymia and HRQoL in women with PCOS is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of alexithymia on HRQoL in women with PCOS in Saudi Arabia. Material/Methods This descriptive cross-sectional, community-based study enrolled 518 female patients with a diagnosis of PCOS from all age groups. The patients were surveyed via a self-administered questionnaire from December 2022 to January 2023. The survey encompassed sociodemographic data, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and HRQoL 15-dimensional scale (15D). Results This study included 320 participants (61.8%) with alexithymia. A significant association was found between alexithymia and low HRQoL 15D scores in patients with PCOS. Specifically, scores on the TAS-20 subscales related to difficulty in identifying feelings and describing feelings were positively correlated with HRQoL ( P =0.000). However, externally oriented thinking subscale scores were not positively correlated with HRQoL ( P =0.44). Conclusions The presence of alexithymia is associated with poor HRQoL in women with PCOS, which is more pronounced among those who received a diagnosis ≥4 years ago. Alexithymia must be considered when assessing the HRQoL of patients with PCOS, considering the relatively high prevalence of alexithymia in these patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Consequently, alexithymia is a state-dependent phenomenon [ 1 ]. This condition is linked to many chronic diseases, including psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis [ 3 ], fibromyalgia [ 4 ], Parkinson disease [ 5 ] and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia and Quality of Life in Saudi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Community-Based Study

Alturki,

Alofisan,

Alsaif

et al. 2024

Med Sci Monit

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“…Studies of alexithymia using a cut-off point from the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) have reported rates ranging from 15.7% to 31.9% in Chinese college students [6][7][8][9]. Given that different values are attached to emotional awareness and expression in different countries, there might be some variations across different cultures [10][11][12][13][14]. Many factors including family environment and cognitive capacity have been shown to be important for individuals' emotional reactivity and emotional regulation [6,9,[15][16][17][18][19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Imagery in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Parental Psychological Control

Wang,

Yang

2024

Behavioral Sciences

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This study aims to explore the mediating role of mental imagery in the relationship between alexithymia and parental psychological control among Chinese university students. Conducted between March and April 2023, this descriptive study involved 282 volunteer participants from a university in southern China. Data collection included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Parental Psychological Control Scale (PPC), and the Vividness of Visual Mental Imagery questionnaire (VVIQ). The results revealed that: (1) based on established cut-off, 81 students were identified as highly alexithymic; (2) the alexithymia group scored higher on both the TAS and PPC and lower on the VVIQ compared to the non-alexithymia and possible-alexithymia groups; and (3) mediating analysis demonstrated a strong and positive correlation between parental psychological control and alexithymia for all participants, with visual mental imagery mediating this relationship. This study underscores the interconnectedness of parental psychological control, visual mental imagery, and alexithymia among college students. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are also discussed.

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Self-perception in early childhood: A comparative study of children with and without alexithymia

Abdulkader,

Elgendy,

Alfadeed

2024

Int. j. adv. appl. sci.

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This study examines differences in self-perception between children with alexithymia and their typically developing peers (TDP). It explores specific aspects of self-perception and compares self-perception profiles while considering gender and education. A total of 122 children from kindergartens and schools participated in the study, including 81 typically developing children and 41 with alexithymia. The study used the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI) as assessment tools. The findings showed that alexithymia had a greater impact on self-perception than demographic factors like gender or education. Children with alexithymia had significantly lower self-perception in areas such as academic competence, motivation, social skills, and peer acceptance compared to their typically developing peers. The study highlights how alexithymia affects children's self-perception and calls for targeted interventions to support their well-being and social integration. It also suggests the need for further research into how educational environments influence children's self-perception.

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Prevalence and associated factors of alexithymia among medical students: A cross-sectional study from Saudi Arabia

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Alexithymia and Quality of Life in Saudi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Community-Based Study

Alexithymia and Quality of Life in Saudi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Community-Based Study

Mental Imagery in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Parental Psychological Control

Self-perception in early childhood: A comparative study of children with and without alexithymia

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