Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alexithymia and Emotional Intelligence in Patients with Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Psychiatric Quarterly Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a broad personality construct signifying the ability to perceive and to regulate affects within oneself. Alexithymia is another personality construct denoting difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, with an externally oriented thinking style. Although previously considered to be independent, some studies have shown that these constructs overlap. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the levels of EI and alexithymia in patients with panic disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The subjects included 171 psychiatric patients and 56 non-clinical controls. Psychiatric diagnoses were based on DSM-IV criteria. The Emotional Intelligence Scale-34 (EIS-34) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were used to assess EI and alexithymia. All three patient groups scored statistically significantly higher than the non-clinical controls on TAS-20 total score and the TAS-20 subfactors of difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings. EIS-34 scores were lower in patient groups than in the non-clinical controls, but only the EIS-34 intrapersonal subscale was significant difference. Total TAS-20 and EIS-34 scores in the patient cohort were inversely and significantly correlated These results reaffirm an overlap between EI and alexithymia with the intrapersonal factor of EI to be more dependent on the difficulty identifying feelings dimension of alexithymia in subjects with MDD and GAD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Salovey P, Meyer JD: Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality 9:185–211, 1990

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lizeretti NP, Extremera N, Rodriquez A: Perceived emotional intelligence and clinical symptoms in mental disorders. Psychiatric Quarterly. doi:10.1007/s1126-012-9211-9. Published online Feb 17, 2012

  3. Fukunishi I, Wise TN, Sheridan M, Shimai S, Otake K, Utsuki N, Uchiyama K: Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Emotional Intelligence Scale among college students and psychiatric outpatients. Psychological Reports 89(3):25–632, 2001

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sheridan MJ, Horgas S, Fukunishi I, Wise TN: Revised Emotional Intelligence Scale: factor re-evaluation and item reduction. Psychological Reports 98:65–71, 2006

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hertel J, Schütz A, Lammers CH: Emotional intelligence and mental disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology 65(9):942–54, 2009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Lizeretti N, Extremera N: Emotional intelligence and clinical symptoms in outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Psychiatric Quarterly 82:253–260, 2011

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bankier B, Aigner M, Bach M: Alexithymia in DSM-IV disorders. Comparative evaluation of somatoform disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. Psychosomatics 42:235–240, 2002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Taylor GJ: Recent developments in alexithymia theory and research. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 45:134–142, 2000

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Parker JDA, Taylor GJ, Bagby RM: Relationship between alexithymia and emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences 30:107–115, 2001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Fukunushi I, Wise TN, Sheridan M et al.: Association of emotional intelligence with alexithymic characteristics. Psychological Reports 89:651–658, 2001

    Google Scholar 

  11. Sayar K, Güleç H, Ak I: Yirmi maddelik toronto aleksitimi ölçei’nin geçerlik ve güvenirligi. 37. ulusal psikiyatri kongresi kitabı, 02-06 ekim, İstanbul,. 130, 2001

  12. Kose S, Sayar K, Gulec H et al.: The Turkish version of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20): reliability, validity, and factorial structure. Society of Biological Psychiatry Symposium, May 19–22, Atlanta, GA, 2005

  13. Onur E, Sheridan MJ, Fukunishi I, Wise TN: The Revised Emotional Intelligence Scale: cross cultural validation in a Turkish psychiatric outpatient cohort. Yeni Symposium 50:51–54, 2012

    Google Scholar 

  14. Bagby RM, Parker JDA, Taylor GJ: The twenty item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: I. Item selection and cross validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 38:23–32, 1994

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bagby RM, Taylor GJ, Parker JDA: The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: II. Convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 38:33–40, 1994

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Austin EJ, Saklofske DH, Egan V: Personality, well-being and health correlates of trait emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences 38:547–558, 2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Furnham A, Petrides KV: Trait emotional intelligence and happiness. Social Behavior and Personality 31:815–824, 2003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Gross JJ, Muňoz RF: Emotion regulation and mental health. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 2:151–164, 1995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Rude SS, McCarthy CT: Emotional functioning in depressed and depression-vulnerable college students. Cognition and Emotion 17:799–806, 2003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mennin DS, Heimberg RG, Turk CL, Fresco DM: Preliminary evidence for an emotion dysregulation model of generalized anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy 43:1281–1310, 2005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Cloitre M, Koenen KC, Cohen LR, Han H: Skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation followed by exposure: A phase-based treatment for PTSD related to childhood abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 70:1067–1074, 2002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Ehring T, Quack D: Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Trauma Survivors: The Role of Trauma Type and PTSD Symptom Severity. Behavior Therapy 41:587–598, 2010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bradley B, DeFife JA, Guarnaccia C, Phifer J, Fani N, Ressler KJ, Westen D: Emotion dysregulation and negative affect: Association with psychiatric symptoms. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 72:685–691, 2011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Mennin DS, Heimberg RG, Turk CL, Fresco DM: Applying an emotion regulation framework to integrative approaches to generalized anxiety disorder. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 9:85–90, 2002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Mennin DS, McLaughlin KA, Flanagan TJ: Emotion regulation deficits in generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and their co-occurrence. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 23:866–871, 2009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Ehring T, Fischer S, Schnülle J, Bösterling A, Tuschen-Caffier B: Characteristics of emotion regulation in recovered depressed versus never depressed individuals. Personality and Individual Differences 44:1574–1584, 2008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mayer JD, Slovey P, Caruso DR: Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings and implications. Psychological Inquiry 15:197–215, 2004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Hansenne M, Bianchi J: Emotional intelligence and personality in major depression: Trait versus state effects. Psychiatry Research 166(1):63–68, 2009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Perna G, Menotti R, Borriello G, Cavedini P, Bellodi L, Caldirola D: Emotional intelligence in panic disorder. Rivista di Psichiatria 45(5):320–325, 2010

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Leweke F, Leichsenring F, Kruse J, Hermes S: Is alexithymia associated with specific mental disorders? Psychopathology 45:22–28, 2012

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Celikel FC, Kose S, Erkorkmaz U, Sayar K, Cumurcu BE Cloninger CR: Alexithymia and temperament and character model of personality in patients with major depressive disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry 51(1):64–70, 2010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. De Berardis D, Campanella D, Gambi F, La Rovere R, Sepede G, Core L, Canfora G, Santilli E, Valchera A, Mancini E, Salerno RM, Moschetta FS, Ferro FM: Alexithymia, fear of bodily sensations, and somatosensory amplification in young outpatients with panic disorder. Psychosomatics 48(3):239–246, 2007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Honkolampi K, Hintikka J, Laukkanen et al.: Alexitymia and depression: A prospective study of patients with major depressive disorder. Psychosomatics 42:229–234, 2001

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have a conflict of interest that could compromise the integrity of this original research submission.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey

    Elif Onur & Tunc Alkın

  2. Inova Fairfax Hospital, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Michael J. Sheridan

  3. Inova Fairfax Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA, 22042, USA

    Thomas N. Wise

Authors
  1. Elif Onur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tunc Alkın
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael J. Sheridan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thomas N. Wise
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas N. Wise.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Onur, E., Alkın, T., Sheridan, M.J. et al. Alexithymia and Emotional Intelligence in Patients with Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Psychiatr Q 84, 303–311 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-012-9246-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-012-9246-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation