The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder

Aim: We hypothesized that alexithymic depressive patients have low insight, which correlates with more severe depression and anxiety. In this context, we aimed to explore the correlation between insight and self-reflective abilities, alexithymia, as well as the presence and severity of major depress...

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Main Authors: Aysu Yakin Olgun, Meliha Zengin Eroglu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Galenos Yayinevi 2024-11-01
Series:Haseki Tıp Bülteni
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Online Access:https://www.hasekidergisi.com/articles/the-effects-of-alexithymia-on-self-reflection-and-insight-in-major-depressive-disorder/doi/haseki.galenos.2025.10096
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author Aysu Yakin Olgun
Meliha Zengin Eroglu
author_facet Aysu Yakin Olgun
Meliha Zengin Eroglu
author_sort Aysu Yakin Olgun
collection DOAJ
description Aim: We hypothesized that alexithymic depressive patients have low insight, which correlates with more severe depression and anxiety. In this context, we aimed to explore the correlation between insight and self-reflective abilities, alexithymia, as well as the presence and severity of major depression, which is the most diagnosed psychiatric disease in the world. Methods: We accepted 80 patients diagnosed with major depression who were in outpatient care at our psychiatry clinic between September and December 2020, along with 80 healthy controls. We applied the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) to all participants. This study was designed as a cross-sectional observational study. Results: SRIS-insight score was found to be lower (p<0.001) in the patient group; higher scores were observed for difficulty in identifying feelings, difficulty in describing feelings, and the TAS-20 total score (p<0.001). TAS-20-total and subscales were found to be predicted by SRIS-insight in both groups (p<0.001; p<0.01). Conclusion: When clinicians evaluate alexithymic patients with major depression, they need to consider this alongside symptom evaluation, as these patients may have low insight.
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spelling doaj-art-92cb9dbbe95d4f258111452641fbe7122025-01-28T07:32:54ZengGalenos YayineviHaseki Tıp Bülteni1302-00722147-26882024-11-0162530931510.4274/haseki.galenos.2025.10096The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive DisorderAysu Yakin Olgun0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1109-8918Meliha Zengin Eroglu1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0253-8977VM Medicalpark Samsun Hospital, Clinic of Psychiatry, Samsun, TurkeyUniversity of Health Sciences Turkey, Sultan 2nd Abdul Hamid Khan Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Psychiatry, Istanbul, TurkeyAim: We hypothesized that alexithymic depressive patients have low insight, which correlates with more severe depression and anxiety. In this context, we aimed to explore the correlation between insight and self-reflective abilities, alexithymia, as well as the presence and severity of major depression, which is the most diagnosed psychiatric disease in the world. Methods: We accepted 80 patients diagnosed with major depression who were in outpatient care at our psychiatry clinic between September and December 2020, along with 80 healthy controls. We applied the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) to all participants. This study was designed as a cross-sectional observational study. Results: SRIS-insight score was found to be lower (p<0.001) in the patient group; higher scores were observed for difficulty in identifying feelings, difficulty in describing feelings, and the TAS-20 total score (p<0.001). TAS-20-total and subscales were found to be predicted by SRIS-insight in both groups (p<0.001; p<0.01). Conclusion: When clinicians evaluate alexithymic patients with major depression, they need to consider this alongside symptom evaluation, as these patients may have low insight.https://www.hasekidergisi.com/articles/the-effects-of-alexithymia-on-self-reflection-and-insight-in-major-depressive-disorder/doi/haseki.galenos.2025.10096depressive disorderalexithymiaanxietyconsciousness
spellingShingle Aysu Yakin Olgun
Meliha Zengin Eroglu
The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder
Haseki Tıp Bülteni
depressive disorder
alexithymia
anxiety
consciousness
title The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder
title_full The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder
title_fullStr The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder
title_full_unstemmed The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder
title_short The Effects of Alexithymia on Self-Reflection and Insight in Major Depressive Disorder
title_sort effects of alexithymia on self reflection and insight in major depressive disorder
topic depressive disorder
alexithymia
anxiety
consciousness
url https://www.hasekidergisi.com/articles/the-effects-of-alexithymia-on-self-reflection-and-insight-in-major-depressive-disorder/doi/haseki.galenos.2025.10096
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