Exploring the relations between depression, somatization, dissociation and alexithymia--overlapping or independent constructs?

Background: The aim of this study was to extend our knowledge of associations among the constructs of alexithymia, depression, somatization and dissociation.

Sampling And Methods: 924 nonclinical subjects answered questions about depression (21-item Beck Depression Inventory), somatization (13-item somatization part of Symptom Check List-90), dissociation (28-item Dissociative Experiences Scale) and alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale). In addition, a 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was administered to detect psychiatric distress among subjects.

Dissociative disorders among psychiatric patients.

The aim was to determine the rate of dissociative disorders among psychiatric in- (n = 34) and out-patients (n = 37) and to compare the rate to that of nonclinical subjects (n = 297). Dissociative disorders (17% of patients) could be grouped according to the severity of the symptoms and their relation to affective disorders.

The Finnish version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) and psychiatric distress.

The confirmatory factor structure of the Finnish version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale II (DES-II) was exactly the same in the non-clinical population (n=924) as was found in the most recent study in the USA (with the original English version) and as suggested by the authors of the original version. The Finnish version of the DES-II has a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92, and there is a clear positive correlation (from 0.