Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Alexithymia in anorexia nervosa: a controlled study using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale

Råstam, Maria LU orcid ; Gillberg, Christopher ; Gillberg, I Carina and Johansson, Maria (1997) In Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 95(5). p.385-388
Abstract
The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was completed at the age of 22 years by individuals who had previously suffered from anorexia nervosa (AN), and also by members of a comparison group. The AN and comparison groups had been recruited from community samples. Overall, the TAS scores did not clearly discriminate between the two groups. However, the AN group was significantly more often represented among subjects with the highest TAS scores. A subgroup with empathy disorder tended to have particularly high scores. It is concluded that alexithymia, as defined using the TAS-20, is found only in a subgroup of individuals with AN, and possibly more often in those who are also clinically diagnosed as suffering from empathy disorder. The... (More)
The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was completed at the age of 22 years by individuals who had previously suffered from anorexia nervosa (AN), and also by members of a comparison group. The AN and comparison groups had been recruited from community samples. Overall, the TAS scores did not clearly discriminate between the two groups. However, the AN group was significantly more often represented among subjects with the highest TAS scores. A subgroup with empathy disorder tended to have particularly high scores. It is concluded that alexithymia, as defined using the TAS-20, is found only in a subgroup of individuals with AN, and possibly more often in those who are also clinically diagnosed as suffering from empathy disorder. The TAS-20 is not suitable for screening of AN in the general population. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
anorexia nervosa, alexithymia. epidemiology: autism spectrum disorders
in
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
volume
95
issue
5
pages
385 - 388
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0031010062
ISSN
1600-0447
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
aec0ac45-e1e6-4097-abff-6a23cc4799bb (old id 2373237)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9197902
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1997.tb09650.x/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+disrupted+on+11+May+from+10%3A00-12%3A00+BST+(05%3A00-07%3A00+EDT)+for+essential+maintenance
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:13:04
date last changed
2022-01-29 08:49:58
@article{aec0ac45-e1e6-4097-abff-6a23cc4799bb,
  abstract     = {{The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was completed at the age of 22 years by individuals who had previously suffered from anorexia nervosa (AN), and also by members of a comparison group. The AN and comparison groups had been recruited from community samples. Overall, the TAS scores did not clearly discriminate between the two groups. However, the AN group was significantly more often represented among subjects with the highest TAS scores. A subgroup with empathy disorder tended to have particularly high scores. It is concluded that alexithymia, as defined using the TAS-20, is found only in a subgroup of individuals with AN, and possibly more often in those who are also clinically diagnosed as suffering from empathy disorder. The TAS-20 is not suitable for screening of AN in the general population.}},
  author       = {{Råstam, Maria and Gillberg, Christopher and Gillberg, I Carina and Johansson, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1600-0447}},
  keywords     = {{anorexia nervosa; alexithymia. epidemiology: autism spectrum disorders}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{385--388}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Alexithymia in anorexia nervosa: a controlled study using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale}},
  url          = {{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9197902}},
  volume       = {{95}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}