TY - JOUR
T1 - A family history of alcoholism relates to alexithymia in substance use disorder patients
AU - de Haan, Hein A.
AU - Joosten, Evelien A.G.
AU - de Haan, Lydia
AU - Schellekens, Arnt F.A.
AU - Buitelaar, Jan K.
AU - van der Palen, Job
AU - de Jong, Cor A.J.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Objectives
Previous research identified alexithymia as a potential risk factor for substance use disorders (SUD). More insight into the relation between alexithymia and SUD is needed in order to treat SUD effectively. Therefore, we investigated whether a familial vulnerability to alcoholism relates to the presence and severity of alexithymia in SUD patients.
Method
Hospitalized, abstinent SUD-patients (n = 187), were assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). A maternal, paternal, and total continuous measure of the Family History of Alcohol (FHA) was developed. Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlations were used to relate the composite scores of FHA to alexithymia as a categorical and continuous measure. Multivariate regression models were performed to control for the effects of confounders on the relation between FHA and alexithymia.
Results
Compared to moderate (33%) and low (17%) alexithymic SUD-patients, high alexithymic (50%) patients were more likely to have fathers with alcohol problems (P = 0.004). Such a difference was not found for mothers with alcohol problems. The composite FHA-score was significantly associated with alexithymia (Rs = .19, P = 0.01). However, only a paternal FHA, independent from disturbed family functioning, related to the degree of alexithymia (β = .13, P = 0.06), especially to the Difficulty Identifying Feelings as measured by the TAS-20 (β = .16, P = 0.02).
Conclusions
The relation between a paternal FHA and a higher degree of alexithymia in SUD-patients suggests that alexithymia could mediate the familiality of alcoholism or SUD in the paternal line
AB - Objectives
Previous research identified alexithymia as a potential risk factor for substance use disorders (SUD). More insight into the relation between alexithymia and SUD is needed in order to treat SUD effectively. Therefore, we investigated whether a familial vulnerability to alcoholism relates to the presence and severity of alexithymia in SUD patients.
Method
Hospitalized, abstinent SUD-patients (n = 187), were assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). A maternal, paternal, and total continuous measure of the Family History of Alcohol (FHA) was developed. Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlations were used to relate the composite scores of FHA to alexithymia as a categorical and continuous measure. Multivariate regression models were performed to control for the effects of confounders on the relation between FHA and alexithymia.
Results
Compared to moderate (33%) and low (17%) alexithymic SUD-patients, high alexithymic (50%) patients were more likely to have fathers with alcohol problems (P = 0.004). Such a difference was not found for mothers with alcohol problems. The composite FHA-score was significantly associated with alexithymia (Rs = .19, P = 0.01). However, only a paternal FHA, independent from disturbed family functioning, related to the degree of alexithymia (β = .13, P = 0.06), especially to the Difficulty Identifying Feelings as measured by the TAS-20 (β = .16, P = 0.02).
Conclusions
The relation between a paternal FHA and a higher degree of alexithymia in SUD-patients suggests that alexithymia could mediate the familiality of alcoholism or SUD in the paternal line
U2 - 10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.03.021
DO - 10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.03.021
M3 - Article
SN - 0010-440X
VL - 54
SP - 911
EP - 917
JO - Comprehensive psychiatry
JF - Comprehensive psychiatry
IS - 7
ER -
