Metacognitive Beliefs in Alexithymic Individuals

Abstract

We aimed to determine the differences between metacognitive beliefs in individuals with and without alexithymia, and to identify the relationship between alexithymia and metacognitive beliefs and the predictive role of metacognitive beliefs in individuals with alexithymia. The study included a total of 160 participants who were diagnosed with depressive disorder, anxiety disorder or somatoform disorder in remission according to DSM-5, or who were not diagnosed with any psychiatric disorders. Sociodemographic and clinical data collection form, Metacognitive Questionnaire-30, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. Individuals with alexithymia scored higher in terms of all alexithymia subscales than those without alexithymia. There was a relationship between difficulty describing feelings and cognitive confidence, cognitive self-consciousness; and between alexithymia and positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about uncontrollability. Difficulty identifying feelings was predictive of negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger; difficulty describing feelings was predictive of cognitive self-consciousness; externally-oriented thinking was predictive of positive beliefs about worry; and negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger and cognitive self-consciousness were predictive of alexithymia. This study demonstrated that metacognitive beliefs increased in alexithymia, specific alexithymia dimensions were related with specific metacognitive beliefs and that they might be predicted by specific metacognitive beliefs. These results suggest that metacognitive therapy might be used to better conceptualize individuals with alexithymia.