Roots of alexithymia

Abstract

This paper presents the historical background and theoretical framework of alexithymia and the development of the instruments that measure this theoretical construct more accurately. The alexithymia concept was derived from clinical observation, initially formulated without an underlying theoretical framework. Nowadays, alexithymia is a part of the theory of cognitive processing and regulation of emotions. The paper also reviews the interest alexithymia aroused in research and clinical work of various fields of psychology, particularly psychoanalysis. The concept was developed from clinical experience with psychosomatic patients that responded poorly to psychotherapy. The development of the concept from categorical to dimensional is highlighted. Alexithymia was conceptualised as a defense mechanism, but also as deficit pathology. It overlaps with the concept of mentalization and can be viewed both in terms of state and trait features. Finally, the measuring instruments for alexithymia are comprehensively listed.