Estudio de la alexitimia y de los procesos emocionales negativos en el ámbito de los factores de riesgo y la sintomatología cardiovascular
ISSN: 1136-5420
Any de publicació: 2007
Volum: 12
Número: 2
Pàgines: 105-116
Tipus: Article
Altres publicacions en: Revista de psicopatología y psicología clínica
Resum
This study examines differences in cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, overweight, cholesterol and unhealthy lifestyle), symptoms and negative emotions (anger-out, anger-in, rumination and de-pression) in people with high and low alexithymia (HA / LA). It also analyses in each group how emo-tions predict risk factors and symptoms. Four hundred and thirty-six participants took part in this inves-tigation. The results indicate that HA had lifestyles less unhealthy than LA, and reported more symp-toms and negative emotions. There were no differences in risk factors. Furthermore, in HA, anger-out negatively predicted hypertension, whereas anger-in and rumination positively explained the lifestyle. The symptoms could only be explained by depression. We conclude that alexithymia, together with certain noxious emotions, can negatively influence health and cardiovascular prevention.
Referències bibliogràfiques
- Abramson, L., McClelland, D.C., Brown, D., & Kelner, S. (1991). Alexithymic characteristics and metabolic control in diabetic and healthy adults. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 179, 490-494.
- Adami, G.F., Campostano, A., Ravera, G., Leggieri, M., & Scopinaro, N. (2001). Alexithymia and body weight in obese patients. Behavioral Medicine, 27, 121-126.
- Bagby, R.M., Parker, J.D.A., & Taylor, G.J. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto alexithymia scale-I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 41, 23-32.
- Becoña, E. (2006). Resiliencia: definición, características y utilidad del concepto. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 11, 125-146.
- Berenbaum, H., & Irvin, S. (1996). Alexithymia, anger and interpersonal behavior. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 65, 203-208.
- Bermúdez, J. (1993). Adaptación española de la escala de Disipación-Rumiación: Datos preliminares. Informe del Departamento de Psicología de la Personalidad. Madrid: UNED.
- Calhoun, P.S., Bosworth, H.B., Siegler, I.C., & Bastian, L.A. (2001). The relationship between hostility and behavioral risk factors for poor health in women veterans. Preventive Medicine: An international journal devoted to practice and theory, 33, 552-557.
- Caprara, G.V. (1986). Indicators of aggression: The Dissipation-Rumination Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 6, 763-769.
- Deary, I.J., Scott, S., & Wilson, J.A. (1997). Neuroticism, alexithymia and medically unexplained symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 551-564.
- Fukunishi, I., Numata, Y., & Hattori, M. (1994). Alexithymia and defense mechanisms in myocardial infarction. Psychological Reports, 75, 219-223.
- Gage, B.C., & Egan, K.J. (1984). The effect of Alexithymia on morbidity in hypertension. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 41, 136-144.
- Helmers, K.F., & Mente, A. (1999). Alexithymia and health behaviors in health male volunteers. Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 47, 635-645.
- Hogan, B.E., & Linden, W. (2005). Curvilinear relationships of expressed anger and blood pressure in women but not in men. Evidence from two samples. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 59, 97-102.
- Honkalampi, K., Hintikka, J., Tanskanen, A., Lehtonen, J., & Viinamäki, H. (2000). Depresión is strongly associated with alexithymia in the general population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 48, 99-104.
- Jula, A., Salminen, J.K., & Saarijärvi, S. (1999). Alexithymia: A facet of essential hypertension. Hypertension, 33, 1057-1061.
- Jyväsjärvi, S., Joukamaa, M., Väisänen, E., Larivaara, P., Kivelä, S.L., & Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi, S. (2001). Somatizing frequent attenders in primary health care. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 50, 185-192.
- Kojima, M., Frasure-Smith, N., & Lespérance, F. (2001). Alexithymia following myocardial infarction psychometric properties and correlates of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 51, 487-495.
- Kooiman, C.G., Bolk, J.H., Rooijmans, H.G.M., & Trisjburg, R.W. (2004). Alexithymia does not predict the persistence of medically unexplained physical symptoms. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 224-232.
- Kubzansky, L.D., Cole, S.R., Kawachi, I., Vokonas, P., & Sparrow, D. (2006). Shared and unique contributions of anger, anxiety, and depression to coronary heart disease: A prospective study in the Normative Aging Study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 31, 19- 29.
- Lett, H.S., Blumenthal, J.A., Babyak, M.A., Sherwood, A., Strauman, T., Robins, C., & Newman, M.F. (2004). Depression as a risk factor for coronary artery disease: Evidence, mechanisms, and treatment. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 305-315.
- Linden, W., Lenz, J.W., & Stossel, C. (1996). Alexitimia, defensiveness and cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 41, 575-583.
- Lumley, M.A., & Norman, S. (1996). Alexithymia and health care utilization. Psychosomatic Medicine, 58, 197-202.
- Lumley, M.A., Stettner, L., & Wehmer, F.(1996a). Alexithymia, social support and health problems. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 41, 519-530.
- Lumley, M.A., Stettner, L., & Wehmer, F.(1996b). How are alexithymia and physical illness linked?. A review and critique of pathways. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 41, 505-518.
- Lumley, M.A., Tomakowsky, J., & Torosian, T. (1997). The relationship to subjective and biomedical measures of disease. Psychosomatics, 38, 497-502.
- Lundh, L.G., & Simonsson-Sarnecki, M. (2001). Alexithymia, emotion, and somatic complaints. Journal of Personality, 69, 483-510.
- Merino, H., Godás, A., & Pombo, M. (2002). Alexitimia y características psicológicas asociadas a actitudes alimentarias en una muestra de adolescentes. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 7, 35-44.
- Miller, T., Markides, K.S., Chiriboga, D.A., & Ray, L.A. (1995). A test of the psychosocial vulnerability and health behavior models of hostility: Results from an 11-year follow-up of Mexican Americans. Psychosomatic Medicine, 57, 572-581.
- Morosin, A., & Riva, G. (1997). Alexithymia in a clinical sample of obese women. Psychological Reports, 80, 387-394.
- Nemiah, J.C., Freyberger, H., & Sifneos, P.E. (1976). Alexithymia: A view of the psychosomatic process. En O.W. Hill (Ed.), Modern trends in psychosomatic medicine (Vol. 3, pp. 430-439). London: Butterworths
- Nemiah, J.C., & Sifneos, P.E.(1970). Affects and fantasy in patients with psychosomatic disorders. En O.W. Hill (Ed.), Modern trends in psychosomatic medicine (Vol.2, pp. 26-34). London: Butterworths.
- Neumann, S.A., Sollers, J.J., Thayer, J.F., & Waldstein, S.R. (2004). Alexithymia predicts attenuated autonomic reactivity, but prolonged recovery to anger recall in young women. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 53, 183-195.
- Pelechano, V. (2005). Acerca de «afrontamiento» y «enfermedad crónica»: una reflexión ¿fundada? con alguna sugerencia. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 10, 3-14.
- Petersen, S., Peto, V., Rayner, M., Leal, J., Luengo-Fernández, R., & Gray A. (2005). European cardiovascular disease statistics. www.heartstats.org.
- Porcelli, P., Bagby, M., Taylor, G.J., De Carne, M., Leandro, G., & Todarello, O. (2003). Alexithymia as predictor of treatment outcome in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 911-918.
- Quintana, J.M., Padierna, A., Esteban, C., Arostegui, I., Bilbao, A., y Ruiz, I. ( 2003). Evaluation of the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 107, 216-221.
- Rief, W., Heuser, J., & Fichter, M.M. (1996). What does the Toronto Alexithymia scale TAS-R measure? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 52, 423-429.
- Rueda, B., y Pérez-García, A.M. (2005). Competencia percibida, procesos de valoración y afrontamiento ante un supuesto problema cardiovascular. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 10, 193-203.
- Rueda, B., Pérez-García, A.M., Sanjuán, P., y Ruiz, M.A. (2007). Relación entre alexitimia y hostilidad: ¿Una asociación influida por el malestar psicológico? Análisis y Modificación de Conducta, 32, 263-286.
- Sandín, B. (2002). Papel de las emociones negativas en el trastorno cardiovascular: Un análisis crítico. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 7, 1-18.
- Sandín, B., Santed, M.A., Chorot, P., & Valiente, R. (1996a). Alexitimia, afecto positivo y negativo, y reac- tividad al estrés: Relaciones con sintomatología somática y enfermedad. Análisis y Modificación de Conducta, 22, 435-460.
- Sandín, B., Chorot, P., Santed, M.A., & Jiménez, P. (1996b). Dimensiones de alexitimia y estados emocionales de ansiedad, depresión e ira. Psiquis, 17, 37-45.
- Shapiro, D., Goldstein, I.B., & Jamner, L.D. (1995). Effects of anger/hostility, defensiveness, gender, and family history of hypertension on cardiovascular reactivity. Psychophysiology, 32, 425-435.
- Sebregts, E.H.W.J., Falger, P.R.J., & Bär, F.W.H.M. (2000). Risk factor modification through nonpharmacological interventions in patients with coronary heart disease. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 48, 425-441.
- Sifneos, P.E. (1973). The prevalence of «alexythimic» characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 22, 255-262.
- Simonsick, E.M., Wallace, R.B. Blazer, D.G. & Berkman, L.F. (1995). Depressive symptomatology and hypertension-associated morbidity and mortality in older adults. Psychosomatic Medicine, 57, 427-435.
- Speranza, M., Corcos, M., Stéphan, P., Loas, G., PérezDíaz, F., Lang, F., et al. (2004). Alexithymia, depressive experiences, and dependency in addictive disorders. Substance Use & Misuse, 39, 551-579.
- Spielberger, C.D., Johnson, E.H., Russell, S.F., Crane, R.J., Jacobs, G.A., & Worden, T.J. (1985). The experience and expression of anger: Construction and validation of an anger expression scale: En M.A. Chesney, S.E. Goldston, & R.H. Rosenman (Eds.), Anger and hostility in behavioural medicine (pp.5-30). New York: Hemisphere / McGraw.
- Taylor, G.J. (2000). Recent developments in alexithymia theory and research. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 45, 134-142.
- Taylor, G.J., Bagby, R.M., & Parker, J.D.A. (1997a). Affects and alexithymia in medical illness and disease. En G.J. Taylor, R.M. Bagby & J.D.A. Parker (Eds.), Disorders of affect regulation: Alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness (pp. 216-247). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Taylor, G.J., Bagby, R.M., & Parker, J.D.A. (1997b). Affect dysregulation and alexithymia. En G.J. Taylor, R.M. Bagby & J.D.A. Parker (Eds.), Disorders of affect regulation: Alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness (pp. 26-45). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Taylor, G.J., Bagby, R.M., & Parker, J.D.A. (1997c). The development and regulation of affects. En G.J. Taylor, R.M. Bagby & J.D.A. Parker (Eds.), Disorders of affect regulation: Alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness (pp. 7-25). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Taylor, G.J., Bagby, R.M., Ryan, D.P., Parker, J.D.A., Doody, K., & Keefe, P. (1988). Criterion validity of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Psychosomatic Medicine, 50, 500-509.
- Todarello, O., Taylor, G.J., James, D.A., & Fanelli, M. (1995). Alexithymia in essential hypertensive and psychiatric outpatients: A comparative study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 39, 987-994.
- Torosian, T., Lumley, M.A., Pickard, S.D., & Ketterer, M.W. (1997). Silent versus symptomatic myocardial ischemia: The role of psychological and medical factors. Health Psychology, 16, 123-130.
- Valkamo, M., Hintikka, J., Niskanen, L., & Viinamäki, H. (2001a). Psychiatric morbidity and the presence and absence of angiographic coronary disease in patients with chest pain. Actra Psychiatrica Scandinava, 104, 391-396.
- Valkamo, M., Hintikka, J., Honkalampi, K., Niskanen, L., Koivumaa-Honkanen, H., & Viinamäki, H. (2001b). Alexithymia in patients with coronary heart disease. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 50, 125-130.
- Zigmond, A.S., & Snaith, R.P. (1983). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67, 361-370.