THE STATE OF ALEXITHYMIA IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS WITH A LOW LEVEL OF VITAL THREAT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/2663-0672-2023-4-13Keywords:
alexithymia, psychodermatology, skin cancer, vital threat level, hardinessAbstract
This article is devoted to the study of alexithymia in patients with skin cancer with a low level of vital threat and the correlation of alexithymia with psychopathological manifestations and the state of social and psychological adaptation. The purpose of the work: to study the features of alexithymia in patients with malignant skin tumors with a low level of vital threat, and its correlations with psychopathological manifestations and the state of social and psychological adaptation. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the features of alexithymia in patients with malignant skin tumors with a low level of vital threat were determined, and its relationship with the expressiveness of the psychopathological phenomena of depression and anxiety, as well as with indicators of social and psychological adaptation was determined. Methodology. 30 patients with basal cell carcinoma and 9 patients with squamous cell carcinoma were clinically and psychologically examined using the TAS-20, HRDS, HARS, C. Rogers et R.F. Dymond, and S.R. Maddie questionnaire. Results. Patients with skin cancer generally had low alexithymia scores: 48.00±15.02 points, while signs of alexithymia were present in 30.7% of patients. Patients with alexithymia showed significantly (p<0.01) higher rates of depression (18.58±6.58 points vs. 8.85±7.58 points), anxiety (18.33±6.18 points vs. 9.04±7.30 points), lower indicators of hardiness (24.92±14.21 points vs. 48.78±17.14 points), adaptation (25.92±5.39 points vs. 49.47±14.00 points), self-acceptance (22.13±8.47 points vs. 51.31±14.49 points), acceptance of others (23.23±6.90 points vs. 55.91±20.37 points), emotional comfort (19.27 ±6.75 points vs. 42.48±13.41 points) and internality (42.68±3.62 points vs. 54.13±11.72 points). The presence of significant (p<0.01) correlations of alexithymia with indicators of depression (rS=0.404), anxiety (rS=0.443), hardiness (rS=-0.423), adaptation (rS=-0.666), selfacceptance (rS=-0.684), acceptance of others (rS=-0.670) and emotional comfort (rS=-0.628). Conclusions. Patients with malignant skin tumors with a low level of vital threat have low levels of alexithymia, while patients with alexithymia showed significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety and lower rates of hardiness and social-psychological adaptation. The expressiveness of alexithymia directly correlates with the manifestations of depression and anxiety, and conversely – with hardiness and social-psychological adaptation.
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