Alexithymia in functional gastrointestinal disorders

Objectives: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by an inability to identify and describe emotions by one's self. People with high levels of alexithymia can have difficulty distinguishing emotions of themselves and of others, expressing their own emotions and respond emotionally. In this study, it was aimed to examine the level and frequency of alexithymia in patients diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Functional Dyspepsia, and to examine the relationship between alexithymia and gastrointestinal symptoms, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Methods: A total of 61 patients, who applied to the outpatient clinic due to gastrointestinal symptoms, including 31 patients diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, 30 patients diagnosed with Functional Dyspepsia, and 61 healthy volunteers, were included in this study. The frequency and level of alexithymia, the level of gastrointestinal symptoms, the level of depressive symptoms, and the level of anxiety symptoms were compared between the patient and healthy control groups. Results: The groups were similar in terms of sociodemographic characteristics. The prevalence and level of alexithymia, the level of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and DIF, DDF, and EOT subscale scores were significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group. In the patient group, alexithymia was positively correlated with GI symptom severity, depressive symptom severity, and anxiety symptom severity, while no significant correlation was found between alexithymia and GI symptom severity in the control group. Conclusions: Those with FGID's have significantly higher alexithymia prevalence and alexithymia level, GI symptom severity, level of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms than in the controls.