Conference Proceedings

2007 Psychobiology 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting

Conference Venue: Low Wood Hotel, Lake Windermere
Psychobiology Section

From: 03 Sep 2007
To: 05 Sep 2007

 
Peer-Reviewed

The psychology of Alexithymia in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa

C. Loveday
University of Westminster


This study examines whether alexithymia, a well-established feature of adults with eating disorders, is also present in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and discusses the relevance of this to known psychobiological features.  Eighty-eight adolescents with AN were assessed on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) and the Stirling Eating Disorders Inventory (SEDS) within 2 weeks of their admission to an in-patient unit and scores were compared to control participants. The AN group were shown to have specific impairments in the identification and communication of emotions but did not fit the traditional picture of alexithymia in terms of externally oriented thinking.  These results are discussed in the context of neuropsychological and brain imaging data.