Anhedonia, Alexithymia and Locus of Control in Unipolar Major Depressive Disorders

Abstract

The relationship between anhedonia, alexithymia and locus of control was studied in a group of healthy subjects (n = 56) and in a group of unipolar major depressives (n = 59). These dimensions were rated using the Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) and the Internal Powerful others and Chance Scale. The unipolar major depressives were divided into two subgroups using the endogenomorphic subscale of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. There are respectively 25 and 17 depressives in the nonendogenomorphic (NENDO) and endogenomorphic (ENDO) subgroups. The unipolar major depressives were significantly more anhedonic, alexithymic and externalized than the controls. In the ENDO group the PAS and TAS Feelings scores were positively correlated suggesting that a third variable of emotional deficit could characterize endogenomorphic depression. In the NENDO group the PAS, TAS Daydreaming, Powerful others and Chance scores were positively correlated. In nonendogenomorphic depression anhedonia could be related to a poverty of imagery and could be interpreted as a consequence of external causes.

Toronto Alexithymia Scale in Outpatients with Sexual Disorders

“…These results confirm an association between alexithymia and some sexual disorders. This association is unspecific as in some other psychiatric disorders [19,20]. The current study is the first report on TAS factor scores in outpatients with sexual disorders.…”

Worry, Anhedonic Depression, and Emotional Styles

“…Among college students, individuals with higher levels of depression (as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory) tended to report paying less attention to their emotions, though the association was very weak ). In contrast, Loas et al (1998) found that individuals with MDD did not differ significantly from non-psychiatric controls in externally-oriented thinking (which past research has found is strongly negatively correlated with attention to emotion; e.g., Coffey et al 2003).…”

Κατάθλιψη Αλεξιθυμία Επιθετικότητα Και Σωματικές Παθήσεις Στη Θεσσαλία

“…Η μεγάλη πλειοψηφία των ερευνών καταφάσκει τη θετική σχέση μεταξύ κατάθλιψης και αλεξιθυμίας (Loas et al, 1998, Berthoz et al, 1999, Marchesi et al, 2000, Honkalampi et al, 2000a, Honkalampi et al, 2000b, Honkalampi et al, 2001b, Bankier et al, 2001, Hintikka et al, 2001, Saarijarvi et al, 2001, Honkalampi et al, 2004, Gulec et al, 2005, Nakao et al, 2005 συν., μετά από 12μηνη παρακολούθηση σε ένα δείγμα 1584 Φιλανδών, προτείνουν ότι τα αλεξιθυμικά χαρακτηριστικά είναι στενά συνδεδεμένα με τα καταθλιπτικά συμπτώματα (Honkalampi et al, 2001c). Οι Gunzelmann και συν.…”

“…Έτσι, οι Loas και συν. διαπίστωσαν υψηλότερα σκορ στις κλίμακες της κατάθλιψης και της αλεξιθυμίας στους καταθλιπτικούς ασθενείς, σε σχέση με τους μάρτυρες (Loas et al, 1998). Στα ίδια αποτελέσματα κατέληξαν και οι Marchesi και συν., δουλεύοντας ανεξάρτητα από τους πρώτους (Marchesi et al, 2000).…”

“…Η σχέση μεταξύ κατάθλιψης κι αλεξιθυμίας αποτελεί ένα ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρον θέμα και αντικείμενο πολλών ερευνών. Η μεγάλη πλειοψηφία των μελετών στη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία υποστηρίζει την ύπαρξη θετικής σχέσης μεταξύ κατάθλιψης κι αλεξιθυμίας (Bankier et al, 2001, Berthoz et al, 1999, Gulec et al, 2005, Hintikka et al, 2001, Honkalampi et al, 2000a, Honkalampi et al, 2000b, Honkalampi et al, 2001b, Honkalampi et al, 2004, Loas et al, 1998, Marchesi et al, 2000, Nakao et al, 2005, Saarijarvi et al, 2001. Οι Honkalampi και συν.…”