Investigation of Alexithymia Level in Patients with Hyperthyroidism with Non-psychotic Mental Disorders

Abstract

In the formation of non-psychotic mental disorders in patients with thyroid pathologies are important neurohumoral mechanisms and psychosomatic relationships. The modern concept takes into account alexithymia model, this psychological property is considered to have complicated and combined genesis (imbalance between the functions of limbic system and cerebral cortex, violations of child-mother interaction, etc). Alexithymia has not just to the development of psychosomatic and neurotic pathology, but also carries significant prognostic information about the course of the disease and the effectiveness of therapy. We examined 125 patients with hyperthyroidism. Non-psychotic mental disorders with different syndromologic structure were found in 95 (76%) of patients, among which anxious-asthenic (38.95%), anxious-depressive (23.16%) were dominant. All thes epatients were investigated by Toronto Alexithymia scale proposed by Taylor G. In a study 72 patients (75,78%) had a rate alexithymia more than 74 points, and only 5 (5,26%) of patients according to the method proved non-alexithymic. During the clinical interview it was found also that patients with an uncertain alexithymia level had difficulties in describing their inner feelings, did not give much attention to the absence of well-being in the emotional sphere, believed that painful symptoms of mental health problems are caused by only thyroid pathologies, even during sighting surveys ignored the presence of emotional stress and conflict experiences that showed a reduced capacity for understanding and expressing their own feelings, low emotional resonance. Thus, psychotherapeutic and psycho-corrective work with such patients should take into consideration alexithymia radical in the personal structure of such patients.