Alexithymia, Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Idiopathic Generalized Pruritus

Year 2019, Volume: 19 Issue: 3, 648 - 657, 30.09.2019

Medine Gıynaş Ayhan , Zubeyde Tekin Kurku İbrahim Eren İbrahim Eren

https://doi.org/10.17098/amj.624491

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Objectives: Idiopathic
generalized pruritus (IGP) is a condition characterized by persistent and
generalized pruritus without clinical evidence of inflammation or skin diseases
in seemingly healthy skin. Our knowledge about IGP is insufficient as
relatively little research has been carried out on this disease. We aimed to
assess the prevalence of alexithymia and its association with anxiety and depression
in patients with IGP compared with control subjects.

Materials and Methods: The study
sample was formed by 35 patients with IGP and 40 control subjects. All the
participants were interviewed by using a semi-structured socio-demographic form
and all the modules of Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I).
Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to the participants.

Results: Patients with IGP had
significantly higher TAS-20 score compared with controls. There was no
difference between two groups in terms of BDI and BAI scores. BDI score was
positive correlated with TAS-20 and DIF (difficulty in identifying feelings)
scores, while BAI score was positive correlated with TAS-20, DIF, DDF
(difficulty in describing feelings) and EOT (externally oriented thinking) as
well.

Conclusion: The alexithymia
prevalence was higher in patients with IGP than that in control subjects, while
it was positively correlated with anxiety and depression scores in IGP group.
Although larger studies are required, alexithymia and its relationship with
depression and anxiety should be taken into consideration while evaluating the
patients with IGP.

Keywords

Alexithymia, anxiety, depression, pruritis

İdiyopatik Jeneralize Pruritus Hastalarında Aleksitimi, Anksiyete ve Depresyon

Abstract

Amaç: İdiopatik
jeneralize pruritus (IGP), sağlıklı görünen ciltte klinik olarak inflamasyon
veya cilt hastalığı olmaksızın persistan ve jeneralize kaşıntı ile karakterize
bir durumdur. IGP hakkında nispeten az sayıda araştırma yapıldığından
hakkındaki bilgimiz yetersizdir. Bu çalışmada IGP tanılı hastalarda kontrol
grubu ile karşılaştırılarak aleksitiminin yaygınlığını ve anksiyete ve
depresyonla ilişkisini değerlendirmeyi amaçladık

Materyal ve Metot: Çalışmaya 35 IGP
tanılı hasta ile 40 sağlıklı kontrol dahil edildi. Tüm katılımcılar DSM-IV’e
göre yapılandırılmış klinik görüşme (SCID-I) ve yarı-yapılandırılmış
sosyodemografik form kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Katılımcıların Toronto
Aleksitimi Ölçeği (TAS-20), Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDI) ve Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği
(BAI) doldurmaları sağlandı.

Bulgular: IGP tanılı hastalarda
kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak yüksek TAS-20 skoru olduğu bulundu. Gruplar
arasında BDI ve BAI skorları yönünden fark yoktu. BDI skoru ile TAS-20 ve DIF
(duyguları tanıma zorluğu) arasında pozitif korelasyon gözlendi. BAI skoru ile
TAS-20, DIF, DDF (duyguları ifade zorluğu) ve EOT (dışa-dönük düşünce) arasında
pozitif korelasyon saptandı.

Sonuç: IGP tanılı hastalarda
aleksitiminin prevalansı kontrol grubunda yüksektir ve anksiyete ve depresyonla
arasında pozitif korelasyon mevcuttur. Her ne kadar daha kapsamlı çalışmalara
ihtiyaç varsa da, IGP tanılı hastalar değerlendirilirken aleksitimi ve
aleksitiminin depresyon ve anksiyete ile ilişkisi göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır.

Keywords

Aleksitimi, anksiyete, depresyon, pruritus

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