Am J Psychiatry 1993; 150:1105-1107
Copyright © 1993 by American Psychiatric Association
Alexithymia in panic disorder and simple phobia: a comparative study
JD Parker, GJ Taylor, RM Bagby and MW Acklin
Department of Psychology, York Univeristy, Canada.
The authors found that 14 (46.7%) of 30 patients with panic disorder had
alexithymia, compared with four (12.5%) of 32 patients with simple phobia.
Consistent with the conceptualization of alexithymia as a psychological
deficit affecting emotion regulation, the patients with panic disorder had
significantly less ego strength and independence and significantly higher
levels of anxiety and somatic complaints than the patients with simple
phobia.
