The Relationship Between Alexithymia, Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Problems
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between alexithymia, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems, as well as personality factors in a sample of 151 undergraduate psychology students, made up of 70 males and 81 females. Subjects were given questionnaires consisting of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Big Five Personality Inventory, and some general questions about sleep habits. Alexithymia was significantly correlated with anxiety (r = 0.23432, P < 0.01). Alexithymia also had a significant positive correlation with depression (r = 0.24853, P < 0.01). Alexithymia had a significant relationship with the amount of sleep one gets per night; the few people who reported sleeping 10-12 hours per night scored higher on alexithymia. Alexithymia had a significant positive correlation with feeling that one sleeps too much (r = 0.21183, P < 0.01) and a significant negative correlation with feeling that one sleeps too little (r = -0.16215, P < 0.05). This sleep pattern is unique to alexithymia; significance was not found between anxiety, depression, or neuroticism and feeling that one sleeps too much. Alexithymia had a significant positive correlation with neuroticism (r = 0.25785, P < 0.001) and significant negative correlations with extroversion (r = -0.27107, P < 0.001) and openness to new experience (r = -0.32714, P < 0.001).
Description
Program year: 1994/1995Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Citation
Reiser, Kendra (1995). The Relationship Between Alexithymia, Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Problems. University Undergraduate Research Fellow. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -RemleyC _1982.