Alexithymia in Alcohol Dependence – A Case Control Study from a Rural Tertiary Health Care Center

Background: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulty in identifying, expressing, and describing one’s emotions. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the relationship between alexithymia and alcohol dependence. Several studies have found that alexithymia is more prevalent in individuals with alcohol dependence compared to healthy controls. Objectives: The current research aimed to compare alexithymia between individuals with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) and healthy controls among residents of rural India. Additionally, the study sought to assess the association of alexithymia with the duration, severity of drinking, and obsessive-compulsive drinking behaviors. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted involving 49 patients with alcohol dependence and 52 healthy controls in the Psychiatry department of a rural tertiary healthcare center in central India. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was utilized to evaluate alexithymia, while patterns of drinking were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). Results: Significant differences were observed in alexithymia levels between patients with alcohol dependence and healthy controls. Furthermore, alexithymia levels were significantly associated with the duration and severity of alcohol consumption, as well as with the presence of obsessive-compulsive drinking patterns. Conclusion: This study underscores the noteworthy association between alexithymia and obsessive-compulsive drinking behaviors in individuals with alcohol dependence. The findings underscore the importance of addressing emotional difficulties and alexithymia in patients with alcohol dependence.