Sriram T G, Chaturvedi S K, Gopinath P S, Shanmugam V
Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
Psychother Psychosom. 1987;47(1):11-7. doi: 10.1159/000287992.
Alexithymic characteristics were examined in a sample of 30 patients fulfilling the DSM-III criteria for psychogenic pain disorder using an interviewer-rated scale (Beth Israel Hospital Psychosomatic Questionnaire), a self-rated scale (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and a projective technique (Thematic Apperception Test). The findings were compared with a control group of healthy subjects matched on sociodemographic variables. Pain patients were found to be more alexithymic in contrast to the control group as evidenced by the interviewer-rated and self-rated scales. The correlations among the three measures were in the expected direction.
