Survey of Moderating Role of Positive and Negative Affections on the Relationship between Alexithymia and Experience of Pain in Chronic Pain Patients

Abstract

Focusing on the somatic sensations is one of the main characteristics of alexithymia. Alexithymic individuals tend to misinterpret these sensa-tions as signs of physical illness. A number of studies have shown that patients with chronic pain express their feelings through physical signs. Positive and negative affects as principal dimensions of emotional expe-riences are among emotions related to pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of positive and negative affections on the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain in chronic pain patients. One hundred chronic musculoskeletal pain patients (67 women, 33 men) participated in this research. All participants were asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Visual Analogue Scale for Pain Severity (VAS). The results showed that positive and negative af-fects moderated the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain in opposite directions. Positive affection decreased the effect of alexithymia on experience of pain, while negative affect increased the effect of alexithymia on experience of pain. It can be concluded that the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain in chronic pain patients was influenced by positive and negative affections.

Keywords

• Alexithymia
• Positive affection
• Negative affection
• Intensity of pain
• Chronic pain