Anhedonia and alexithymia: distinct or overlapping constructs

Percept Mot Skills. 1997 Apr;84(2):415-25. doi: 10.2466/pms.1997.84.2.415.

Abstract

The aim was to examine the relationship between alexithymia, anhedonia, and capacity for displeasure in a group of 133 healthy subjects using principal components analysis. A correlation matrix comprised of items from both the Communication and Identification scale of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Physical Pleasure-Displeasure Scale yielded a four-factor solution (one Communication-Identification, two Pleasure, and one Displeasure factor) with no overlap of the significant factor loadings for the items from each scale. Moreover, there were no positive significant correlations between the Communication and Identification Scales and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. Our findings support the view that physical anhedonia is a construct distinct and separate from alexithymia.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Affective Symptoms / diagnosis*
  • Affective Symptoms / psychology
  • Aged
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Emotions
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results