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Alexithymia and Somatic Amplification in Chronic Pain

Received November 12, 1997; February 6, 1998; accepted February 11, 1998. From the Department of Psychiatry, the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center, Syracuse, New York. Address reprint requests to Dr. Gregory, Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Health Science Center, 750 East Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210.

A controlled study was undertaken to assess alexithymia and somatic amplification among 50 medical outpatients with chronic pain referred for psychiatric consultation. Data were collected on demographics; DSM-IV diagnoses; and measures of anxiety, depression, and alexithymia, assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS–20), as well as somatic amplification, assessed with the Somatosensory Amplificiation Scale (SAS). Data analysis revealed low scores on the TAS–20 and SAS for the pain patients, compared with a control group without pain. In this sample, depression and anxiety were the primary determinants of alexithymia and somatic amplification, rather than pain. These findings suggest that psychological markers for chronic pain may be different from those for other somatoform disorders.

Key Words: alexithymia • somatic amplification • chronic pain

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