Head injury and alexithymia: implications for family practice care
| Autor: | Carolyn M. Pepper, Jeffrey Galas, Richard G. Burright, David Light, Peter J. Donovick, Ava E. Kleinmann, Christopher Ryan, Karren R. Williams |
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| Rok vydání: | 2001 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Adolescent Traumatic brain injury Neuroscience (miscellaneous) MEDLINE Alexithymia Epidemiology Prevalence Developmental and Educational Psychology medicine Craniocerebral Trauma Humans Affective Symptoms Psychiatry Depression (differential diagnoses) Aged Aged 80 and over business.industry Head injury Middle Aged medicine.disease Health Surveys Comorbidity Substance abuse Female Neurology (clinical) Family Practice business |
| Zdroj: | Brain Injury. 15:349-356 |
| ISSN: | 1362-301X 0269-9052 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/026990501750111319 |
| Popis: | Alexithymia, a deficit in emotional information processing, and a history of head injury have both been found to be related to high rates of psychosomatic illness, substance abuse, depression, and utilization of primary care services. To date, no study has examined the potential comorbidity of alexithymia and head injury in a family practice setting, a necessary step in evaluating the aetiologic role of head injury in the development of alexithymia. The goals of this study are to establish prevalence of head injury and alexithymia in a family practice setting and to evaluate the relation, if present, between the two.Patients (n =135) of a family practice residency facility were screened using the Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20.Forty-nine per cent of the participants reported a history of head injury and 18% were alexithymic. Those with a history of head injury had significantly higher scores of alexithymia. Chi-square analysis indicated a relation between head injury and alexithymia.The high rates of self-reported history of head injury in family practice settings, particularly in the context of alexithymia, may adversely affect a physician's ability to care for these patients. Increasing physicians' awareness of head injury and the potential mediating role of alexithymia in medical and psychological illness may facilitate effective diagnosis and patient-physician communication. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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