Difficulty describing feelings and post-traumatic symptoms after a collective trauma in survivors of L'Aquila earthquake

Abstract

Background: The association between alexithymia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been demonstrated in several studies, but never in victims of a collective trauma such as a natural disaster, which has an impact on an entire community.Aims: The aim was to assess the relationship between alexithymia and post-traumatic symptoms in a group of people who lived in L'Aquila exposed to the earthquake that hit the town in 2009.Methods: Eighty-seven participants were included and assessed for alexithymia, PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, and psychiatric symptoms. Linear regression models were used to test the hypothesis.Results: The main finding was an association between “Difficulty-Describing-Feelings” and the intensity of post-traumatic symptoms in the worst month after trauma. Depression, anxiety and psychiatric comorbidity also showed a significant association with PTSD symptoms.Conclusions: In the present study of a collectively shared trauma, the alexithymic factor “difficulty-describing-feelings” was significantly associated with the intensity of post-traumatic symptoms.