Levels Of Alexithymia Research Articles

A case -control study on the effect of alexithymia in patients of chronic urticarial

Chronic urticaria (CU) places a substantial physical and emotional strain on individuals, impacting their overall quality of life. Alexithymia, described as difficulty experiencing, identifying and expressing emotions, is a characteristic linked to various skin conditions including CU. This study was carried out to assess how alexithymia compares between patients with chronic urticaria and individuals without the condition. We included a total of 50 individuals with chronic urticaria (CU) and 50 healthy individuals as controls. All participants were asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Score (TAS-20) questionnaire as part of the study assessment. In our study we found the following patterns within the chronic urticaria (CU) group: 52% exhibited clear characteristics of alexithymia, 30% showed potential signs of alexithymia and 18% of participants had no indications of alexithymia. Among those who displayed alexithymia, the majority (88.5%) were in the non-controlled CU group category. When we examined the TAS-20 categories, we noticed gender differences among participants with alexithymia: 57.1% were female and 45.5% were male, suggesting a female predominance.In the control group, TAS-20 categorization revealed the following: 52% of participants had no alexithymia, 32% displayed potential alexithymia and 16% showed signs of alexithymiaIndividuals with chronic urticaria (CU) tend to exhibit higher levels of alexithymia, particularly in the DIF (Difficulty Identifying Feelings) and DDF (Difficulty Describing Feelings) subscales, when compared to individuals in the control population.

Interoceptive and Affective Alterations in Body Integrity Dysphoria: An Online Self-Reporting Study

Introduction: Body integrity dysphoria (BID) is a rare condition in which individuals experience a long-lasting desire to achieve a specific physical disability. In this study, we tested the hypothesis of interoceptive and affective abnormalities in BID, in line with the evidence of structural and functional alteration of the interoceptive-affective neural system in these individuals. Method: Our study involved 68 participants with BID (mean age: 35.6, SD: 16.4). Among these participants, 47 expressed a desire for amputation, 14 desired paralysis, 3 sought sensory deprivation, and 3 desired a combination of these forms. For comparisons, we recruited a control group of 79 participants (mean age: 35.2, SD: 15.8). We administered assessment measures to investigate alexithymia level (TAS-20), disgust sensitivity (DS-R), interoceptive awareness (MAIA-2), and (affective and cognitive) empathy (QCAE). We also administered the Short Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE) to identify psychiatric comorbidities. Subgroups with low O-LIFE scores (BID = 31; controls = 43) and subgroups with high O-LIFE scores (BID = 37; controls = 36) were derived through a median-split procedure. Results: Within the BID low O-LIFE group, we found reduced interoceptive sensibility, reduced disgust sensitivity, and increased difficulty in identifying feelings, which refers to a dimension of the alexithymia trait. Within the BID high O-LIFE group, we observed a reduced disgust sensitivity and interoceptive sensibility, accompanied by a diminished score in cognitive empathy. Conclusion: Our study suggests that BID can be associated with altered interoceptive and affective processing.

Examination of The Relationship Between University Students' Alexithymia Symptoms, Personality Types and Internet Use Behaviors

The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between university students' alexithymia symptoms, personality traits and internet use attitudes. The predictive power of personality types and internet use behaviors on alexithymia levels was examined. In addition, differences in the scores of alexithymia and personality types according to various demographic variables were examined. The study group consisted of 322 undergraduate students studying in four different universities in Istanbul. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Eysenck Personality Brief Scale were used to collect data. According to the results obtained from the study, there was a significant relationship between alexithymia scores and personality types, while neuroticism and extraversion were found to have significant predictive power on alexithymia scores. The findings were discussed within the framework of the literature and various suggestions were presented.

THU113 Psychopathological Characteristics In Patients With Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency (Central Diabetes Insipidus) And Primary Polydipsia

Abstract Disclosure: J. Beck: None. C. Atila: None. J. Refardt: None. Z. Erlic: None. J.B. Drummond: None. B.S. Soares: None. F. Beuschlein: None. B.F. Winzeler: None. M. Christ-Crain: None. Introduction The differential diagnosis between arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D), formally known as central diabetes insipidus, and primary polydipsia (PP) is challenging. In clinical routine, psychopathologic findings are often used as a hallmark for diagnosing PP; thus, it is often referred to as psychogenic polydipsia. Yet, psychopathologic characteristics are barely assessed in patients with AVP-D, and to date, no data exist comparing AVP-D and PP with regard to these features. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare levels of anxiety, depression, alexithymia, and overall mental health in patients with AVP-D and PP. Methods This study combined data from two diagnostic studies conducted at three tertiary medical centers. In total, 82 participants (n=39 with AVP-D, n=28 with PP, and n=15 healthy controls [HC]) underwent a psychological evaluation with standardized questionnaires at study inclusion. Anxiety levels were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, mood using the Beck’s Depression Inventory, alexithymia using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and overall physical and mental health using the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Higher STAI, BDI, and TAS scores indicate higher anxiety, depression, and alexithymia levels. Higher SF-36 scores indicate better health and less disability. Results Compared with HC, patients with AVP-D and PP showed increased levels of anxiety (HC 28 points [24, 31] vs. AVP-D 36 points [31, 45], p<0.01; vs. PP 38 points [33, 46], p<0.01), depression (HC one point [0, 2] vs. AVP-D 7 points [4, 14], p<0.01; vs. PP 7 points [3, 13], p<0.01), and alexithymia (HC 30 points [29, 37] vs. AVP-D 43 points [35, 54], p<0.01; vs. PP 46 points [37, 55], p<0.01). Levels of anxiety, depression, and alexithymia showed no difference between patients with AVP-D and PP (p=0.58, p=0.90, p=0.50). Compared with HC, patients with AVP-D and PP reported comparable reduced self-reported mental health scores (HC 84 [68, 88] vs. AVP-D 60 [52, 80], p=0.05; vs PP 60 [47, 74], p<0.01). Conclusion This is the first study demonstrating comparable increased levels of anxiety, depression, alexithymia, and overall reduced mental health in patients with AVP-D and PP. Based on these data, psychopathological findings should not be used as a hallmark to differentiate between both conditions. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

How parental levels of empathy and alexithymia influence their perception of child's behavior

How parental levels of empathy and alexithymia influence their perception of child's behavior

Alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms: the mediating role of emotion regulation

ABSTRACT Objective Preliminary research has found evidence to suggest alexithymia acts as a risk factor for the development of psychopathology symptoms, due to its impairing role on emotion regulation ability. Eating disorder symptoms have been extensively linked to high levels of alexithymia and emotion regulation difficulties, yet little is known about the precise mechanisms behind these interactions. The current study investigates whether emotion regulation difficulties drive the association between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms. Method An online questionnaire battery consisting of psychometric self-report measures was administered to 255 undergraduate students. Measures included the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ), Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Results A parallel mediation analysis was conducted, finding that the relationship between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms was partially mediated by difficulties regulating positive emotions. Conclusions These findings support contemporary theory, which recognises alexithymia as an important risk factor for psychopathology symptoms due to its impairing effect on emotion regulation ability. These results highlight the importance of considering the relationship between alexithymia and emotion regulation when conceptualising cases and planning eating disorder treatment and prevention measures.

Who are the skilled therapists? Associations between personal characteristics and interpersonal skills of future psychotherapists

ABSTRACT Objective Facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS) are a promising variable to explain the so-called therapist effect. We aimed to investigate associations between observer-rated interpersonal skills and self-reported personal characteristics of future therapists. Method In this cross-sectional observational study, psychology students and trainee therapists completed self-report personality and sociodemographic questionnaires as well as the FIS Performance Task (German version, observer-rated). Mixed multilevel model analysis was conducted with FIS total mean score (mean value of 312 individual ratings [13 video-clips, 8 FIS-items, 3 raters]) as dependent variable, therapist ID and FIS clip ID as random effects and 15 therapist variables as fixed effects. Results In the present sample consisting of 177 participants (age: M = 29.8 years (SD = 7.3), [18,59]; 79.1% female, 20.9% male) greater therapists’ experience level, male gender and lower levels of alexithymia were predictive for higher FIS score when statistically controlling for other therapist variables in the model. Age, self-reported childhood maltreatment, attachment style, emotion regulation and self-concept variables turned out to be unrelated. Conclusion The results can inform psychotherapy training programs. They specifically support the importance of addressing therapists’ potential difficulties in recognizing and verbalizing emotions. This is in line with theoretical literature on alliance ruptures and premises of the Alliance-focused training.

The effect of Alexithymia level on communication skills in intensive care nurses

This research was carried out as a descriptive study to determine the effect of alexithymia level on communication skills in intensive care nurses. The research was carried out between 15/02/2023-01/06/2023 with the participation of 105 nurses working in the intensive care units of a university hospital. The data were collected by using a 17-question information form prepared by the researcher in line with the literature, which determines the socio-demographic and communication skills of the nurses, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Health Professionals Communication Skills Scale. The conformity of the data to normal distribution was evaluated by Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov Smirnov tests. Kruskal Wallis test, Mann Whitney U test, One-Way Analysis of Variance, and independent sample t-test were used in data analysis. In line with the findings obtained from this study, it was determined that intensive care nurses with high levels of alexithymia had low communication skills.
 Keywords: Alexithymia; communication; communication skills; nurse; intensive care.

The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S): A 6-item measure of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression

BackgroundEmotion regulation plays a crucial role in affective functioning. One of the most commonly used measures of emotion regulation is the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), a 10-item self-report measure assessing frequency of use of two common emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. In this study, we aimed to optimize the utility of the ERQ for time-pressured settings by introducing and validating a 6-item short form called the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S). MethodGeneral community (N = 508) and college student (N = 245) samples from the United States completed online surveys containing a range of psychometric self-report measures. For each sample, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the ERQ-S. ResultsOur confirmatory factor analyses supported the intended 2-factor structure of the ERQ-S (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression factors), with all items loading well on their intended factor in both samples. As expected, the ERQ-S correlated highly with the ERQ. A profile of low cognitive reappraisal use and high expressive suppression use on the ERQ-S was significantly associated with higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties, alexithymia, and affective symptoms. LimitationsWe did not examine psychometric performance in a clinical sample, or other cultural groups outside the US. All concurrent validity markers were self-report questionnaires. ConclusionsOur data suggest that the ERQ-S successfully retains the psychometric strengths of the ERQ. The shorter format of the ERQ-S should therefore help to optimize the measurement of emotion regulation in time-pressured settings.

The generation that lived during/participated in the war and the generation that inherited it: association between veterans PTSD and adult offspring’s emotional regulation strategies and alexithymia levels

BackgroundThe long-term repercussions that war can have on both war generations and post-war generations lack in the literature. It is imperative to understand the psychological consequences of the Lebanese Civil War that took place from 1975 to 1990, on the offspring of those who took part in it. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to assess the association between paternal/veterans PTSD and adult offspring’s emotional regulation strategies and alexithymia levels, 30 years after the end of war.MethodA cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2020 and September 2021 on a sample of 75 fathers of Lebanese former veterans and paramilitary veterans and their adult offspring. For the veterans and paramilitary veterans’ population, the PTSD Checklist was used to assess post-traumatic stress disorder, and the Combat Exposure Scale (CES) was used to measure the level of combat exposure. For the offspring population, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) was used to assess emotional regulation strategies and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was used to measure the levels of alexithymia.ResultsPaternal PTSD (Beta = 10.19) was associated with higher levels of alexithymia in the offspring population. Regarding emotional regulation strategies, results showed that paternal PTSD (Beta = -3.24) was significantly associated with a decrease in the cognitive reappraisal score in the offspring. Also, paternal PTSD (Beta = 4.57) was significantly associated with an increase in expressive suppression score. Additionally, an older father’s age (Beta = 1.11) was significantly associated with an increased alexithymia score in the offspring. Moreover, results showed that paternal combat injuries (Beta = -4.24) were significantly associated with a decrease in the alexithymia score in the offspring population and an increase in the expressive suppression score (Beta = 3.28).ConclusionThis study shows that fathers’ traumatic experience of war influences emotion regulation and alexithymia levels in their offspring. Longitudinal studies taking into account the age of the offspring at the time of onset of fathers’ symptoms may provide us with additional information to understand the influence of paternal PTSD on the emotional functioning of offspring during different phases of emotional development.

I can take my eyes off of you: Effect of alexithymia and perceptual load on processing emotional faces

Alexithymic individuals have difficulties processing emotional stimuli, including faces, and may require more resources to process such stimuli. Alexithymia may interact with task characteristics, like perceptual load, which modulates the processing capacity allocated to task-relevant, versus task-irrelevant stimuli. We examined effects of load and distractor type (face, object) and valence (threatening, neutral), and alexithymia on performing a letter-search task. We assessed reaction time, accuracy, and heart rate to index arousal and cognitive effort. Perceptual load, distractor presence, type and valence showed expected effects. Alexithymia did not meaningfully affect reaction time, but was associated with decreased accuracy when distractors were threatening, under low perceptual load. HR did not suggest changes in resources mobilized depending on alexithymia level. Results suggest that alexithymic individuals perceived emotional stimuli and were able to maintain intact reaction time, though this came with a cost in accuracy. Absence of HR effects suggests that no additional resources were recruited to remedy this difficulty. Overall, results suggest that emotional stimuli are perceived in alexithymia at early stages, but resources are not appropriately allocated to prevent performance impairment.

Relationships between Affect Recognition, Empathy, Alexithymia, and Co-Occurring Conditions in Autism.

Prior studies show differences in empathy and affect-recognition ability between those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals. Autistic individuals also exhibit increased behavioral, gastrointestinal, and sleep issues. In the current study, we explored the differences in empathy and affect recognition between the ASD and TD groups; and we investigated their associations with conditions co-occurring in ASD. A total of 54 TD and 56 ASD children (8-17 years) were included. As compared to the TD group, the ASD group showed lower scores for affect recognition and perspective taking (PT) and higher scores for personal distress (PD). Interestingly, results from hierarchical linear regressions suggested that disparities in the PD and PT between the groups were primarily attributable to attenuated levels of alexithymia, rather than being mediated by the presence of an autism diagnosis. Differences in affect-recognition ability, however, were mediated by both an autism diagnosis and alexithymia. We also found significant correlations between empathy and affect recognition and measures of related conditions common in ASD. Alexithymia, hence, contributes to difficulties in empathy while both alexithymia and autism are associated with affect-recognition ability in ASD. Additionally, the association between affect recognition and empathic ability with co-occurring conditions in ASD needs to be considered during assessments and interventions.

The Predictors of Self-Esteem in University Students: Intolerance of Uncertainty and Alexithymia

Self-esteem is characterized by self-evaluation and affects the social, emotional, and academic aspects of life. In this respect, high self-esteem is important for human mental health. This research aimed to determine university students' intolerance of uncertainty and alexithymia levels to predict their self-esteem. The research group comprised 365 undergraduate students. The data were collected using the “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE)," "Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS)," and “Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)." The analysis results of this study, in which the predictive correlational design was employed, revealed that self-esteem decreased as the level of alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty increased. Besides, alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty were significant predictors of self-esteem. It is hypothesized that interventions to increase self-esteem will reduce levels of alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty. The integration of findings regarding alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty, which are more common in clinical samples, into education will improve academic achievement and welfare.

Social Media Addiction in Medical Faculty Students; the relationship with dissociation, social anxiety, and alexithymia

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate social media addiction in medical faculty students and the relationships with dissociation and social anxiety experienced in social media use and the level of alexithymia.
 Methods: 329 students who agreed to participate in the research completed the following scales; Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Van Online Dissociative Experiences Scale (VODES), Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU). 
 Results: The 4 sub-scales of the SAS-SMU, the 3 sub-scales of the TAS, and the VODES were analyzed as independent variables and the BSMAS was evaluated as a dependent variable. According to this, social media addiction was affected by the shared content anxiety and self-assessment anxiety sub-scale points of the SAS-SMU, and by the VODES points. Shared content anxiety was determined to predict social media addiction positively and significantly (β=0.264, t (320) = 3.16, p=0.002). Self-assessment anxiety was determined to predict social media addiction positively and significantly (β=0.169, t (320) = 2.23, p=0.026). Online dissociative experiences was determined to predict social media addiction positively and significantly (β=0.217, t (320) = 4.15, p

The Relationships between Compulsive Internet Use, Alexithymia, and Dissociation: Gender Differences among Italian Adolescents.

Internet Gaming Disorder, Internet Addiction, Problematic Internet Use and Compulsive Internet Use cause distress and significant impairment in important areas of a person's functioning, in particular among young people. The literature has indicated that males show higher levels of problematic internet use than females. People can use the internet to avoid or alleviate negative affects; in fact, problematic internet use is associated with alexithymia and dissociation. Few studies have focused on the different stages of adolescence, gender differences, and the relationships between the aforementioned variables. This research aims to fill this gap. Five hundred and ninety-four adolescents aged between 13 and 19 filled in the Compulsive Internet Use Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Adolescents Dissociative Experiences Scale, and other ad hoc measures. Surprisingly, females reported higher compulsive internet use compared with males. Moreover, they referred more difficulties/symptoms and greater levels of alexithymia than males. No differences across the stages of adolescence were found. Different strengths in the relationships between variables were found according to gender. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that dissociation is an important mediator in the relation between alexithymia and Compulsive Internet Use only among females. This study shed new light on gender differences around problematic internet use and some related risk factors, in order to identify and develop prevention and treatment programs to face this topical and relevant issue.

The relationship between alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress in elderly with multiple chronic conditions in China: a network analysis.

This study aimed to construct a network structure to investigate the connections between alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress in Chinese older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC), identifying core and bridge symptoms, and comparing the network structure across different levels of alexithymia. This study used a cross-sectional survey design and convenience sampling to recruit participants from six cities in Jiangsu Province. The study assessed the levels of alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults with MCC using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Network analysis was performed using R language to identify core and bridge symptoms in the network and compare the network structure across different levels of alexithymia. A total of 662 participants were included in the analysis, including 395 men and 267 women. The mean age was 70.37 ± 6.92 years. The finding revealed that the "Difficulty Identifying Feelings" (DIF) node had the highest strength centrality (strength = 2.49) and predictability (rp = 0.76) in the network. The next highest strength centrality was observed for "Meaningless" (strength = 1.50), "Agitated" (strength = 1.47), "Scared" (strength = 1.42), and "No look forward" (strength = 0.75). They were identified as core symptoms. The bridge strength analysis identified "Panic," "Scared," "No wind down," "No initiative," and "No positive" as the bridge symptoms. There were notable differences in the overall network structure and specific connections between the groups with and without alexithymia (p < 0.05). "DIF" is a core node in the network of older adults with MCC, indicating its significance as a potential target for psychological interventions in clinical practice. Preventing and mitigating bridge symptoms such as "panic," "Scared," "No wind down," "No initiative," and "No positive" can effectively impede the spread of symptom activation, thereby interrupting or severing the connections among comorbidities in older adults. Additionally, compared to non-alexithymia individuals, the psychological issues of older adults with alexithymia require prioritized intervention from healthcare professionals.

DETERMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALEXITIMIC PERSONALITY FEATURES AND NARSISTIC PERSONALITY FEATURES OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS SCHOOL STUDENTS (Mardin Province Example)

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between alexithymic personality traits and narcissistic personality traits of students studying at Mardin Artuklu University School of Physical Education and Sports. In the study, Toronto Alexithymia Short Version (TAS-20) and narcissistic personality inventory were used as data collection tools. The relational model, which is included in the quantitative research method, was used in the research. The sample of the study consists of 154 students studying at Mardin Artuklu University School of Physical Education and Sports. SPSS 20 program was used in the analysis of the data obtained. In the analysis of the obtained data, firstly homogeneity and normality distribution were examined. For this, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) and Shapiro Wilks tests were used. After this review, it was decided to use the parametric test method in the analysis of the data. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the data. At the end of the correlation analysis, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between the students' narcissistic personality levels and total alexithymia level.

The Correlation between Alexithymia with Gender among Nursing Students

Background: alexithymia is a psychological condition characterized by the inability to recognize and express emotions verbally or non-verbally. People who experience alexithymia often have difficulty identifying and expressing their emotions appropriately and clearly.Purpose: the purpose of this study was to determine relationship of alexithymia with gender among nursing students in Universitas Padjadjaran.Methods: the population of this study was active students in the Bachelor's program of the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor/Garut and Pangandaran campus, who experienced social media addiction and are in the class of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The instrument used was the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20). Total sample was 590 students. This instrument was an instrument containing 20 statement items used to assess the level of alexithymia.Results: based on the results of the analysis of the data obtained, there is a relationship between the alexithymia level variable and gender with a sig value relationship. with a positive correlation coefficient value of 0.285, which means that the strength of the relationship between the two variables is sufficient.Conclusion: there is an adequate and positive relationship between gender and the level of alexithymia among nursing students in Universitas Padjadjaran.

A case for emojis, more or less: An analysis of word and emoji expressivity in text messaging for high and low alexithymia levels

The impact of alexithymia on verbal and non-verbal expressivity was investigated in one of the most prevalent mediums for present-day human interacting, smartphone text messaging. The variety of words and emojis used to express negative, neutral and positive feelings was compared between people with higher and lower levels of alexithymia measured by the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire, controlling for covariates anxiety and depression. Verbal expressivity was not impacted by higher levels of alexithymia, for total scores nor by subscale. Non-verbal expressivity for high-level alexithymia showed differences in variety of emoji on two subscales: compared to low-level alexithymia, higher scores on difficulty describing negative feelings used greater variety of emojis when describing negative feelings, while higher scores on externally oriented thinking used less variety of emojis when describing positive feelings. This may be related to greater and lesser interoceptive ability. Further research is warranted. Findings support facet-level over total scores analyses in informing more nuanced understandings of the impacts of alexithymia in interpersonal communication. They suggest that text messaging may attenuate the impacts of the verbal deficits associated with higher-level alexithymia and that emoji use may be more sensitive to specific alexithymic difficulties in particular valence contexts.

Childhood traumatic events, alexithymia and perceived stress in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, causing joint-swelling and pain. International literature highlights that patients with RA are more likely to report high levels of alexithymia, adverse childhood events (ACEs) and stress, but studies investigating the association between these dimensions are lacking. The general aim of the present study is to investigate the association between alexithymia, ACEs, and stress in RA patients and to highlight possible predictors of greater perceived stress. One hundred and thirty-seven female patients with RA (mean age = 50.74; SD = 10.01) participated in an online survey between April and May 2021. Participants completed a questionnaire for the collection of sociodemographic and clinical information, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Adverse Childhood Events questionnaire and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The correlational analysis highlighted several significant associations between the dimensions evaluated. Regression analyses showed that alexithymia, ACEs and the perceived health status have a predictive effect on the perceived stress of RA patients. More specifically, the role of difficulty in identifying feelings, and the physical and emotional neglect, has been highlighted. ACEs and high levels of alexithymia are common in RA clinical populations and seem to affect the wellbeing of these patients. The use of a biopsychosocial approach to RA treatment appears essential in achieving a better quality of life and illness control in this specific clinical population.