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.

Forty rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients diagnosed by rigid criteria were evaluated for alexithymic characteristics using the Beth Israel Hospital Psychosomatic Questionnaire (BIQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). 40 healthy subjects matched with RA patients on sociodemographic variables served as controls. RA patients scored significantly higher on the BIQ and TAS compared to controls. The two scales correlated in the expected direction. Using the TAS cutoff score of 74 and above, 11 RA patients (27.5%) were identified as alexithymic. RA patients with greater functional impairment showed significantly higher alexithymia scores.

This article reports the development of case vignettes as a method of assessing the short-term in-service training of primary care medical officers in mental health care. A pool of 18 case vignettes representing common psychiatric problems and a standard response sheet were written first. This was mailed to 45 psychiatrists for their comments. Based on the comments received from 21 psychiatrists, 2 sets of questionnaires with 7 vignettes in each set were developed. When administered to a group of 32 medical officers, this method of assessment was found to be sensitive in detecting gain in knowledge and skills following training. Further, performance on case vignettes was found to correlate positively with clinical skills when actual cases were given for assessment.

The English version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and a translated Indian version were administered to a sample of hundred bilingual college students. Both the versions of the GHQ showed adequate internal consistency and reliability. There was a high concordance between the two versions on high scorers and low scorers. These results were also applicable to GHQ-30 and GHQ-12. Item analysis revealed certain differences between the two versions attributable to semantic and technical problems. Validity of the GHQ in the Indian setting are discussed.

This study was aimed to develop uniform methods of rating the Beth Israel Hospital Psychosomatic Questionnaire (BIQ) to enhance its reliability and to obtain normative data. Certain guidelines were evolved to rate the items based on responses to probe questions, and the questionnaire administered to a sample of 116 normal subjects. The instrument was found to have adequate internal consistency. Test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability, which were tested on two separate samples, were also found to be adequate. Using the cutoff at mean + 1 SD, 9.5% of the subjects studied (6% males and 3.5% females) were identified as alexithymic. Certain limitations of the instrument and directions for future research have been pointed out.