Alexithymia in relation to alcohol expectancies in alcohol-dependent outpatients

Fred Arne Thorberg; Ross McD Young; Michael Lyvers; Karen A Sullivan; Penelope Hasking; Edythe D London; Reidar Tyssen; Jason P Connor; Gerald F X Feeney

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.016

Alexithymia in relation to alcohol expectancies in alcohol-dependent outpatients

Psychiatry Res. 2016 Feb 28:236:186-188. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.016. Epub 2016 Jan 8.

Authors

Fred Arne Thorberg¹, Ross McD Young², Michael Lyvers³, Karen A Sullivan⁴, Penelope Hasking⁵, Edythe D London⁶, Reidar Tyssen⁷, Jason P Connor⁸, Gerald F X Feeney⁹

Affiliations

¹ National Centre for Dual Diagnosis, Innlandet Hospital Trust, PO Box 104, 2381 Brumunddal, Norway; Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia; School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia. Electronic address: f.a.thorberg@medisin.uio.no.
² Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
³ School of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.
⁴ School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
⁵ School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁶ Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁸ Alcohol & Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, Faculty of Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
⁹ Alcohol & Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, Faculty of Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.

PMID: 26775551
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.016

Abstract

Alexithymia and alcohol outcome expectancies were investigated in 355 alcohol-dependent treatment seekers. Patients with alexithymia gave stronger self-report ratings of expectancies of affective change related to beliefs that alcohol leads to negative mood states and assertion, that alcohol enhances social skills, compared to those without alexithymia. The findings suggest that alcohol-dependent outpatients with alexithymia may drink to experience intensified negative emotions and improved social functioning.

Keywords: Alcohol dependence; Alcohol expectancies; Alexithymia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Affective Symptoms / psychology*
Alcohol Drinking / psychology*
Alcoholism / psychology*
Emotions
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Outpatients / psychology
Self Report
Social Behavior