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Psychometric Properties of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Prevalence of Alexithymia in a Finnish Adolescent Population

Received November 21, 2005; revised April 13, 2006; accepted April 19, 2006. From the Tampere School of Public Health, Univ. of Tampere, Finland; the Dept. of Adolescent Psychiatry, Tampere Univ. Hospital, Tampere, Finland; the Dept. of Adolescent Psychiatry, Turku Univ. Hospital, Turku, Finland; and the Dept. of Psychiatry, Tampere Univ. Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino, Tampere Univ. Hospital, Psychiatric Treatment and Research Unit for Adolescent Intensive Care (EVA), 33380 Pitkäniemi, Finland. e-mail: riittakerttu.kaltiala-heino{at}pshp.fi

The authors assessed, in an adolescent population sample, the internal consistency, test–retest stability, and factor structure of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS–20) and established the frequency of alexithymia in this age-group. Pupils (N=882; age-groups: 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds) from two secondary schools completed the TAS–20 questionnaire twice, with a 5-week interval, in a classroom survey setting. TAS total and subscale scores and proportion of subjects exceeding the cut-point for alexithymia are reported for boys and girls. In confirmatory factor analysis, all estimates except one item were statistically significant; there was no gender difference. The authors conclude that the TAS–20 has good psychometric properties in adolescent samples. Alexithymia rate decreases from early to middle adolescence and remains essentially on a level similar to that among adults.

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