Relationship between Alexithymia and Coping Attitudes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Among anxiety disorders, the incidence of alexithymic features is found in a wide range of 12.5-58%, and it is a personality trait that can also be seen in healthy individuals. Our study investigated the relationship between alexithymic features and coping attitudes in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Forty patients diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and 39 healthy volunteers participated in the study. Participants were divided into groups using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Coping Attitudes Scale were applied to all participants. Nineteen patients with alexithymia and Generalized anxiety disorder, 21 patients with Generalized anxiety disorder without alexithymia, and 39 healthy volunteers participated in this study. Statistically significant differences were observed between the problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping subscale scores, but there was no difference in dysfunctional coping styles between the three groups. In the correlation analysis performed to determine the relationship between the total alexithymia and Coping attitudes subscale scores, there was a moderate negative correlation between the alexithymia scores and problem-focused (r=-0.442) and emotion-focused coping (r=-0.425) subscale scores. Alexithymia is often accompanied by generalized anxiety disorder and negatively affects coping attitudes.