Search

22 combat Viet Nam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder were investigated for alexithymia. Of those subjects examined, 41% proved to be alexithymic. Theoretical implications for this finding are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to provide further insight into the quantification and measurement of alexithymia. A series of statistical surveys has been made concerning self-report scales of alexithymia. The data (1) provide information concerning the psychometric properties of the Schalling-Sifneos Personality Scale (SSPS); (2) present a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) subscale for alexithymia based on the SSPS, and (3) provide insight into the relationship between the SSPS and the Beth Israel Questionnaire (BIQ) through a comparison of the MMPI scales derived from the BIQ and the SSPS. Based on these data, suggestions for the quantification of alexithymia are made, as are suggestions for further research on the measurement of alexithymia.