In a previous paper, Cerutti et al. found higher rates of
alexithymia in mothers of adolescents with migraine (33); this study, however, did not consider the effect of maternal alexithymia on patients» migraine severity.
A controlled study of
alexithymia in adolescent patients with persistent somatoform pain disorder.
While a growing body of literature analyzed the influence of maternal psychological symptoms on children's headache (39, 46), few studies explored the importance of maternal
alexithymia in this disorder (33, 34).
Not exact matches
The repression part is still debatable, but Eastwood has found that students who scored high on scales of
alexithymia — difficulty
in describing or identifying feelings, distinguishing between bodily sensations and feelings, and an inhibited inner emotional and fantasy life — also tended to be bored.
You might be one of the 10 percent of the population with
alexithymia, a psychological condition
in which people have difficulty processing the emotions they experience.
Perceived social support and
alexithymia are psychosocial variables identified by previous studies as predictive of depression
in normal controls and CKD patients.
Lowered activity
in these areas have been associated with states of detachment (e.g., numbing), reduced emotional awareness, traits of
alexithymia (difficulties
in identifying and describing feelings), and reduced emotion regulation.
In a 1995 study by American Psychological Association President Ronald F. Levant, the term «normative male
alexithymia» was coined.
In our patients, maternal
alexithymia levels were associated with separation anxiety, anxiety related to school and children's feeling of guilt.
This is the first study to explore the correlation between maternal attachment style,
alexithymia, and children / adolescents» psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, and somatization)
in a group of patients suffering from migraine.
Our results evidenced an important role of maternal
alexithymia levels on their children's psychological profile,
in particular on anxiety symptoms.
Two further elements of
alexithymia are detectable: an affective one, according to which people might have difficulties
in responding to, feeling and sharing emotions, as well as a cognitive component
in relation to which people might have difficulty
in understanding their own feelings and trying to talk about emotions (26).
Showing difficulties
in appreciating other people's emotions and being empathic, mothers with high levels of
alexithymia might appear less responsive to their children's psychological needs, unconcerned and affectively less involved
in the relationship with them.
Meunier J, Dorchy H, Luminet O. Does family cohesiveness and parental
alexithymia predict glycaemic control
in children and adolescents with diabetes?
In the present study, neither maternal
alexithymia levels nor the attachment style show a relationship with patients» migraine severity (intensity and frequency).
It is difficult to explain the reasons why
in our sample only maternal
alexithymia levels, but not maternal attachment style, show a relationship with their children's attachment style.
Moreover, to explore differences
in maternal
alexithymia and attachment as function of children / adolescents» attachment style (secure, ambivalent, avoiding, and disorganized / confused) a series of one - way ANOVAs was carried out.
One additional maternal feature which may also be correlated with low maternal care is her dysfunction
in emotional awareness (
alexithymia)(23, 24).
Research
in adults indicates that high IS is linked to greater emotional arousal [38, 39], less
alexithymia [40], and, interestingly, also better downregulation of negative affect via cognitive reappraisal [41].
(1) Our data are derived from children / adolescents (and mothers) referred to our tertiary Headache Center and may not be representative of the whole pediatric population suffering from migraine without aura; (2) The psychological tools employed
in our study (TAS - 20, ASQ, SAFA - A, D, and S) have a self - report nature; although, they have been considered valid for psychological screening, they are not suitable for a formal diagnosis of psychiatric disorder; moreover, ASQ, as a self - report questionnaire, may not be able to elicit stress and danger situations, which are indispensable to activate the attachment system; (3) In future studies, it would be important to further explore not only the role of maternal attachment and alexithymia but also the role of maternal migraine features on their children's migraine severity, attachment style, and psychological profil
in our study (TAS - 20, ASQ, SAFA - A, D, and S) have a self - report nature; although, they have been considered valid for psychological screening, they are not suitable for a formal diagnosis of psychiatric disorder; moreover, ASQ, as a self - report questionnaire, may not be able to elicit stress and danger situations, which are indispensable to activate the attachment system; (3)
In future studies, it would be important to further explore not only the role of maternal attachment and alexithymia but also the role of maternal migraine features on their children's migraine severity, attachment style, and psychological profil
In future studies, it would be important to further explore not only the role of maternal attachment and
alexithymia but also the role of maternal migraine features on their children's migraine severity, attachment style, and psychological profile.