Incidence and implications of alexithymia in chronic pain patients

Abstract

Alexithymia is a clinical phenomenon that has been found to occur with some frequency in psychosomatic disorders. Its prevalence in psychosomatic patients suggests that it could be observed in chronic pain patients as well. The present study examines the incidence of alexithymia in chronic pain patients as assessed by the Archetypal Test with Nine Elements (AT9). Patients' scores on the AT9 (SAT9) were examined in conjunction with McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) data, MMPI subscale scores, and patient data. There were no significant relationships found between SAT9, MMPI, and MPQ scores. These observations are examined with reference to the nature of the assessment instruments used. Implications of these observations for theory and therapy are discussed.