Am J Psychiatry 1983; 140:1305-1308
Copyright © 1983 by American Psychiatric Association
Alexithymia: examining the development of a psychological concept
IM Lesser and BZ Lesser
Alexithymia is a clinically derived concept that refers to difficulty
patients have with verbal expression of emotions and with fantasy
elaborations. Since its recent introduction into the literature, it has
been discussed in various contexts and has been considered by some to be a
useful concept in integrating data from a variety of disciplines. The
authors contend that many of the speculations about alexithymia are based
on an inadequately researched data base and that its application in some
areas is premature. They recommend careful investigation of any newly
introduced psychological concept to avoid either its premature rejection or
its reification.
