Alexithymia, a compounding factor for eating and social avoidance symptoms in Anorexia Nervosa

Socio-affective difficulties, in particular difficulties in representing, communicating and feeling emotions, may play a critical role in Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The aim of this longitudinal study was to explore the links between alexithymia and two types of symptom in AN: eating symptoms and social avoidance. Sixty adolescent girls with AN were recruited following hospitalisation in a specialised department. They completed self-administered questionnaires of alexithymia (TAS-20), of eating symptoms and associated psychological traits (EDI), and of anxious and depressive affects (SCL-90).
Source: Comprehensive Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research