Changes in scores on alexithymia over a period of psychiatric treatment

We examined changes in alexithymia over a period of psychiatric treatment. Scores on a measure of alexithymia construct (affect awareness but nor externally oriented thinking) decreased significantly after psychiatric treatment, suggesting that alexithymia or affect awareness for patients with psychiatric disorders or psychosocial problems is a state reaction rather than a personality trail. As for an association of reactions to stress with alexithymia, a group on high extrapunitiveness demonstrated significant decrease in scores on affect awareness compared to a group on low extrapunitiveness both before and after psychiatric treatment.