The term was first used in the 1970s by psychotherapist Peter Sifneos to describe a group of people who had difficulty expressing their emotions. They may also be more prone to stress-related issues and have difficulties coping with stress in general.
- Alexithymia in autistics has been associated with several negative outcomes.Social communication difficulties: Difficulty expressing emotions and interpreting the emotions of others, can interfere with social communication; which may be particularly pronounced in autistics, who already experience social communication difficulties (3).
- Reduced quality of life due to the negative impact on social relationships (4)
- Increased anxiety and depression: One study found that alexithymia was a significant predictor of depression in autistic adults (5).
- Greater risk for negative outcomes: In a longitudinal study of autistic children those with higher levels of alexithymia were found to have a higher risk for negative outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems over time (6).
References
(1) Tsolaki, A., Batrinos, M. L., & Karekla, M. (2020). Alexithymia in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(8), 2630-2645.
(2) Bird, G., Cook, R., Lewis, J., & Press, C. (2010). The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality in Children and Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(8), 1024-1031.
(3) Hobson, J. A., & Hobson, R. P. (2011). Identification and the mind's eye. In J. A. Hobson, & J. W. Russell (Eds.), The approximate mind: Dissociative mind in philosophy, neuroscience, and cognitive science (pp. 85-103). Oxford University Press.
(4) Grynspan, O., Weiss, P. L., Perez-Diaz, F., & Gal, E. (2018). Alexithymia and autistic traits predict health-related quality of life in individuals with high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(5), 1525-1537.
(5) Trevisan, D. A., Birmingham, E., & Grossi, D. (2016). Alexithymia in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(4), 1303-1315.
(6) Hill, E. L., Berthoz, S., & Frith, U. (2014). Brief report: Cognitive processing of own emotions in individuals with autistic spectrum disorder and in their relatives. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(9), 2297-2304.
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