The Level of Alexithymia in Alcohol-Dependent Patients Does Not Influence Outcomes after Inpatient Treatment

Haan, Hein A. de; Schellekens, Arnt; Palen, Job van der; Verkes, Robbert‐Jan; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Jong, C.A.J. de

doi:10.3109/00952990.2012.668597

Cited by 24 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(48 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The mean TAS-20 score for the psychiatric sample was consistent with previous research (de Haan, Schellekens, et al, 2012;Meganck, Vanheule, Inslegers, & Desmet, 2009) and similar to the mean TAS-20 score reported in a Canadian psychiatric sample (Frewen et al, 2008). The mean TAS-20 score for the community sample was similar to the mean TAS-20 scores reported in a large Canadian community sample (Parker et al, 2003) and two Australian community samples (Gignac, Palmer, & Stough, 2007;Parry, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Alexithymia: A Comparison Between Australian Psychiatric and Community Samples

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Alexithymia: A Comparison Between Australian Psychiatric and Community Samples

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Alexithymia may also predict treatment engagement, in terms of session attendance and working alliance (drug-dependent outpatients who were higher in alexithymia attended fewer sessions and formed weaker alliances) (Cleland et al, 2005 ). In studies on inpatients with alcohol use disorder (de Haan et al, 2012b ), baseline alexithymia showed no relation to abstinence, time in treatment or changes in disorder severity at 1-year follow-up. Similarly, as concerns SUDs (de Haan et al, 2011 ), alexithymia (measured as both a continuous and a categorical variable) was not related to abstinence, and high-scoring alexithymics did not differ from low-scoring alexithymics in mean time in treatment or dropout rates (50 vs. 43%).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 89%

Alexithymia in Young Adults With Substance Use Disorders: Critical Issues About Specificity and Treatment Predictivity

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Several studies have reported high rates of alexithymia in drug-dependent individuals, but supporting evidence attests association between alexithymia and a variety of psychiatric disorders, raising doubts about its specificity. Moreover, controversies are emerging about alexithymia assessment: self-report measures present shortcomings with respect to discriminant validity and reliability. As regards treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), alexithymia has been linked to poorer outcomes, but the results are inconsistent. The aim of the present study is to investigate alexithymia in substance-dependent young adults by examining: (a) the specificity of alexithymia in drug-dependent inpatients, compared to healthy individuals and patients with psychiatric disorders (behavioral and emotional disorders) and (b) the predictivity of alexithymia in determining treatment outcomes in terms of relapses, drop-outs from treatment and the rate of relapse per month of treatment. Two studies were conducted to fulfill these aims: Study 1 and Study 2. Study 1 involved 90 late adolescents, aged 17–21. To fulfill the first aim, 30 inpatients diagnosed with SUD were compared with 30 healthy controls and 30 individuals referred to an outpatient neuropsychiatric unit (a). The participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale−20 (TAS-20) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). The results indicated that both clinical groups reported higher TAS-20 scores than the non-clinical subjects, but they did not differ from each other (a); moreover, a large correlation was detected between alexithymia and depressive symptoms, as assessed by the SCL-90-R. Study 2 involved 55 inpatients with SUD recruited in a therapeutic community. The participants completed the TAS-20, and clinicians filled out the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS). No association was found between self-report and observational measures. Neither self-reported nor observed alexithymia predicted the number of relapses, drop-out from treatment, or the rate of relapses per month of treatment (b). When the interaction with gender was explored, the global score of alexithymia and the “Distant” OAS subscale predicted the number rate relapses only in males. The TAS-20 did not discriminate between the clinical groups. The limited ability of both observed and self-reported measures in predicting treatment outcome raises questions on the specificity of alexithymia among the substance-dependent inpatient population.

show abstract

“…In a study involving a cohort of 100 individuals with alcohol-use disorders, no effects of alexithymia were seen on treatment outcome, as indicated by self-reports of use 30 days after cessation of an inpatient treatment program that consisted of a combination of motivational interviewing (MI) and CBT approaches delivered in group therapy [55]. Nonetheless, the preponderance of data suggests that alexithymia warrants consideration in treatment development efforts for addictions.…”

Section: Implications For Substance-abuse Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia and Addiction: A Review and Preliminary Data Suggesting Neurobiological Links to Reward/Loss Processing

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Alexithymia, characterized by impairments in emotional awareness, is common among individuals with substance use disorders. Research on alexithymia suggests that it is a trait that may contribute to substance dependence. This paper will review alexithymia as it relates to substance use and substance use disorders, considering its potential role in the maintenance and treatment of these disorders. We will then describe how neural correlates associated with alexithymia may shed light on how alexithymia relates to addiction. Finally, we present preliminary fMRI data that examines how alexithymia may relate to the neurobiological correlates of reward/loss processing in individuals with cocaine dependence. While preliminary, these findings suggest a role of alexithymia in reward anticipation in cocaine-dependent individuals.

show abstract

The Level of Alexithymia in Alcohol-Dependent Patients Does Not Influence Outcomes after Inpatient Treatment

Abstract: Multimethod alexithymia assessments with an observer scale have been advised to judge the relationship with resulting outcome in CBT.

Cited by 24 publications

References 24 publications

Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Alexithymia: A Comparison Between Australian Psychiatric and Community Samples

Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Alexithymia: A Comparison Between Australian Psychiatric and Community Samples

Alexithymia in Young Adults With Substance Use Disorders: Critical Issues About Specificity and Treatment Predictivity

Alexithymia and Addiction: A Review and Preliminary Data Suggesting Neurobiological Links to Reward/Loss Processing

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About