Relationship and Differential Validity of Alexithymia and Depression: A Comparison of the Toronto Alexithymia and Self-Rating Depression Scales

Abstract

Theoretically, the constructs of alexithymia and depression share many common characteristics. Empirically moderate correlations between measures of alexithymia and depression have been found, hence it has been argued that the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) may be, at least in some part, just another measure for depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity of alexithymia and to analyze the relationship between alexithymia and depression. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the combined items of the TAS-20 and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) in a psychosomatic and alcoholic inpatient sample (n = 199) and a sample of normal adults (controls, n = 174). The exploratory factor analysis in the patient sample yielded a 4-factor structure. Within each factor there was no overlap between the items of the TAS-20 and the SDS. Two factors were comprised of items of the TAS-20 and two factors consisted of items of the SDS. This 4-factor model also showed an acceptable fit for the data of the normal sample in a confirmatory factor analysis. Moderate correlations between the TAS- 20 and SDS total scores and some factors were found. Both instruments, the TAS-20 and the SDS, seem to measure distinct constructs and are not just different measures for the same underlying construct. This provides support for the differential validity of the alexithymia and depression constructs and is in accordance with previous findings.

An evaluation of the absolute and relative stability of alexithymia in women with breast cancer

“…These results do not mean, however, that depression and alexithymia are overlaping dimensions. Factor analyses showed that alexithymia and depression are not simply different measures of the same underlying construct [56]. Significant positive correlations were also found between anxiety and total alexithymia scores, but the relationship was less consistent across factors, with a systematic relationship for DIF, no relationship at all for EOT, and one out of two correlations significant for DDF.…”

Alexithymic Characteristics and Patient-Therapist Interaction: A Video Analysis of Facial Affect Display

“…One of the virtues of the study was the ecological validity (see, in this context, Müller et al [36] ). Subjects were patients in an intake interview who interacted with their assigned therapist without any additional constraints.…”

Traduction et validation française du questionnaire de répression de Weinberger

“…Elle n'a pu être établie qu'en comparant les scores des différentes composantes du questionnaire à des [21,25]. Ce sont des études longitudinales contrôlant l'évolution des variables émotionnelles négatives, en particulier pendant une dépression, qui ont permis de soutenir la stabilité de l'alexithymie [18,26].…”