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Articles 1 - 26 of 26
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Alexithymia And Drinking In Young Adults: The Role Of Alcohol-Related Intrusive Thoughts, Michael Lyvers, Olena Lysychka, Fred Thorberg
Alexithymia And Drinking In Young Adults: The Role Of Alcohol-Related Intrusive Thoughts, Michael Lyvers, Olena Lysychka, Fred Thorberg
Mike Lyvers
Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying and describing emotions, an externalised thinking style and a lack of imagination. Alexithymia has been linked to heavier drinking in community samples and is strongly associated with alcohol use disorders. Among patients undergoing treatment for alcohol dependence, alexithymia is associated with more intrusive thoughts about drinking. The present research asked whether this may also be the case in a non-clinical sample of social drinkers and whether such intrusive thoughts mediate the relationship between alexithymia and drinking. Participants were 113 university undergraduates aged 18–30 years who completed self-report indices of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, or TAS-20), …
Caffeine Use And Alexithymia In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Natalija Duric, Fred Thorberg
Caffeine Use And Alexithymia In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Natalija Duric, Fred Thorberg
Mike Lyvers
Alexithymia refers to difficulties with identifying, describing, and regulating one’s own emotions. This trait dimension has been linked to risky or harmful use of alcohol and illicit drugs; however, the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world, caffeine, has not been examined previously in relation to alexithymia. The present study assessed 106 male and female university students aged 18-30 years on their caffeine use in relation to several traits, including alexithymia. The 18 participants defined as alexithymic based on their Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores reported consuming nearly twice as much caffeine per day as did non-alexithymic or borderline …
Trait Impulsivity Predicts D-Kefs Tower Test Performance In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Vanessa Basch, Helen Duff, Mark Edwards
Trait Impulsivity Predicts D-Kefs Tower Test Performance In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Vanessa Basch, Helen Duff, Mark Edwards
Mike Lyvers
The present study examined a widely used self-report index of trait impulsiveness in relation to performance on a well-known neuropsychological executive function test in 70 university undergraduate students (50 women, 20 men) aged 18 to 24 years old. Participants completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), after which they performed the Tower Test of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Hierarchical linear regression showed that after controlling for gender, current alcohol consumption, age at onset of weekly alcohol use, and FrSBe scores, BIS-11 significantly predicted Tower Test Achievement scores, b¼_.44, p
Blood Alcohol Concentration Is Negatively Associated With Gambling Money Won On The Iowa Gambling Task In Naturalistic Settings After Controlling For Trait Impulsivity And Alcohol Tolerance, Michael Lyvers, Nicole Mathieson, Mark Edwards
Blood Alcohol Concentration Is Negatively Associated With Gambling Money Won On The Iowa Gambling Task In Naturalistic Settings After Controlling For Trait Impulsivity And Alcohol Tolerance, Michael Lyvers, Nicole Mathieson, Mark Edwards
Mike Lyvers
Introduction: Acute alcohol intoxication has been found to increase perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a well known neuropsychological index of prefrontal cortical functioning, in both laboratory and naturalistic settings. Method: The present study examined the relationship between levels of alcohol consumption at campus drinking venues and performance of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), another neuropsychological test designed to assess prefrontal cortex dysfunction, after controlling for potential confounding variables including habitual alcohol intake (as a proxy for alcohol tolerance), trait impulsivity, and everyday executive functioning. Results: The 49 participants of both genders aged 18 to 30 years were …
Cognitive Trait Anxiety, Situational Stress, And Mental Effort Predict Shifting Efficiency: Implications For Attentional Control Theory, Elizabeth Edwards, Mark Edwards, Michael Lyvers
Cognitive Trait Anxiety, Situational Stress, And Mental Effort Predict Shifting Efficiency: Implications For Attentional Control Theory, Elizabeth Edwards, Mark Edwards, Michael Lyvers
Mike Lyvers
Attentional control theory (ACT) predicts that trait anxiety and situational stress interact to impair performance on tasks that involve attentional shifting. The theory suggests that anxious individuals recruit additional effort to prevent shortfalls in performance effectiveness (accuracy), with deficits becoming evident in processing efficiency (the relationship between accuracy and time taken to perform the task). These assumptions, however, have not been systematically tested. The relationship between cognitive trait anxiety, situational stress, and mental effort in a shifting task (Wisconsin Card Sorting Task) was investigated in 90 participants. Cognitive trait anxiety was operationalized using questionnaire scores, situational stress was manipulated through …
Traits Linked To Executive And Reward Systems Functioning In Clients Undergoing Residential Treatment For Substance Dependence, Michael Lyvers, Rachel Hinton, Stephanie Gotsis, Michelle Roddy, Mark S. Edwards, Fred Thorberg
Traits Linked To Executive And Reward Systems Functioning In Clients Undergoing Residential Treatment For Substance Dependence, Michael Lyvers, Rachel Hinton, Stephanie Gotsis, Michelle Roddy, Mark S. Edwards, Fred Thorberg
Mike Lyvers
Traits presumed to reflect dopaminergic reward and prefrontal executive systems functioning were assessed in 100 clients undergoing residential treatment for substance dependence and a community sample of 107 social drinkers. All participants completed self-report measures of impulsivity, alexithymia, frontal systems dysfunction, sensitivity to rewards and punishments, dispositional mindfulness, alcohol use, illicit drug use, mood and demographic characteristics. The percentage of in-patients meeting the criterion for alexithymia was more than twice as high as in the community sample (p < .0001). Multivariate analysis of covariance controlling for age, education, head injury and gender revealed significant differences (p < .0001) between clinical and community samples such that clients scored higher on negative moods, frontal systems dysfunction, reward sensitivity, punishment sensitivity and impulsivity, and lower on dispositional mindfulness. Time in treatment was correlated only with negative mood, supporting the stability of the trait measures; controlling for negative mood eliminated group differences on punishment sensitivity and mindfulness only. Results are consistent with the notion that addiction is linked to reward sensitivity and frontal lobe deficits, with associated implications.
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Observer Alexithymia Scale In Treatment Seeking Alcohol-Dependent Patients, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, Reidar Tyssen, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Observer Alexithymia Scale In Treatment Seeking Alcohol-Dependent Patients, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, Reidar Tyssen, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
Mike Lyvers
Confirmatory factor analyses evaluated the factorial validity of the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS) in an alcohol-dependent sample. Observation was conducted by clinical psychologists. All models examined were rejected, given their poor fit. Given the psychometric limitations of the OAS shown in this study, the OAS may not be the most appropriate measure to use early in treatment among alcohol-dependent individuals.
Mood, Mood Regulation, And Frontal Systems Functioning In Current Smokers, Long-Term Abstinent Ex-Smokers, And Never-Smokers, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio, Vicole Bothma, Mark Edwards
Mood, Mood Regulation, And Frontal Systems Functioning In Current Smokers, Long-Term Abstinent Ex-Smokers, And Never-Smokers, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio, Vicole Bothma, Mark Edwards
Mike Lyvers
Indices of mood, mood regulation, and executive functioning were examined in 61 current smokers who have smoked daily for at least one year, 36 ex-smokers who had not smoked a cigarette for at least one year, and 86 never-smokers. All participants completed the following measures online: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) scale, the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by Tukey post-hoc tests revealed significant differences (p
Drinking Motives, Alcohol Expectancies And Alexithymia In Young Adult Social Drinkers, Michael Lyvers, Olivia Simons, Amelia Hayes, Fred Thorberg
Drinking Motives, Alcohol Expectancies And Alexithymia In Young Adult Social Drinkers, Michael Lyvers, Olivia Simons, Amelia Hayes, Fred Thorberg
Mike Lyvers
Abstract The present study examined alexithymia, drinking motives and alcohol expectancies in a non-clinical sample of 100 young adults aged 18–30 years. Those with alexithymia scored higher on measures of coping motives for drinking and affective change expectancies than those without alexithymia. The findings suggest that people with alexithymia are more likely not only to drink to cope, but also to experience feelings of intensified negative mood after drinking, compared to people without alexithymia even when both groups show similar levels of drinking.
Alexithymia And Alcohol: The Roles Of Punishment Sensitivity And Drinking Motives, Michael Lyvers, Penelope Hasking, Bonnie Albrecht, Fred Thorberg
Alexithymia And Alcohol: The Roles Of Punishment Sensitivity And Drinking Motives, Michael Lyvers, Penelope Hasking, Bonnie Albrecht, Fred Thorberg
Mike Lyvers
Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying and describing feelings. It is suspected of being a risk factor for problematic drinking, an idea examined by this study. In 178 women and 84 men alexithymia was associated with male gender, coping motives for drinking and sensitivity to punishment. Individuals with alexithymia reported stronger coping motives and sensitivity to punishment compared to those with borderline or no alexithymia. Path analysis indicated that the relationship between the alexithymia dimension difficulties identifying feelings and coping motives was mediated by sensitivity to punishment, and the relationship between sensitivity to punishment and risky drinking was mediated by coping …
Illicit Use Of Lsd Or Psilocybin, But Not Mdma Or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, Is Associated With Mystical Experiences In A Dose-Dependent Manner, Michael Lyvers, Molly Meester
Illicit Use Of Lsd Or Psilocybin, But Not Mdma Or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, Is Associated With Mystical Experiences In A Dose-Dependent Manner, Michael Lyvers, Molly Meester
Mike Lyvers
Psychedelic drugs have long been known to be capable of inducing mystical or transcendental experiences. However, given the common “recreational” nature of much present-day psychedelic use, with typical doses tending to be lower than those commonly taken in the 1960s, the extent to which illicit use of psychedelics today is associated with mystical experiences is not known. Furthermore the mild psychedelic MDMA (“Ecstasy”) is more popular today than “full” psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin, and the contribution of illicit MDMA use to mystical experiences is not known. The present study recruited 337 adults from the website and newsletter of …
Mood, Mood Regulation Expectancies And Frontal Systems Functioning In Current Smokers Versus Never-Smokers In China And Australia, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio, Vicole Bothma, Mark Edwards
Mood, Mood Regulation Expectancies And Frontal Systems Functioning In Current Smokers Versus Never-Smokers In China And Australia, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio, Vicole Bothma, Mark Edwards
Mike Lyvers
Indices of mood, mood regulation expectancies and everyday executive functioning were examined in adult current smokers and never-smokers of both genders in Australia (N= 97), where anti-smoking campaigns have dramatically reduced smoking prevalence and acceptability, and in China (N= 222), where smoking prevalence and public acceptance of smoking remain high. Dependent measures included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) expectancies scale, the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) controlling for demographic and recruitment related variables revealed …
Rash Impulsiveness And Reward Sensitivity In Relation To Risky Drinking By University Students: Potential Roles Of Frontal Systems, Michael Lyvers, Helen Duff, Vanessa Basch, Mark Edwards
Rash Impulsiveness And Reward Sensitivity In Relation To Risky Drinking By University Students: Potential Roles Of Frontal Systems, Michael Lyvers, Helen Duff, Vanessa Basch, Mark Edwards
Mike Lyvers
Background: Two forms of impulsivity, rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity, have been proposed to reflect aspects of frontal lobe functioning and promote substance use. The present study examined these two forms of impulsivity as well as frontal lobe symptoms in relation to risky drinking by university students. Methods: University undergraduates aged 18–26 years completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), and a demographics questionnaire assessing age, gender, and age of onset of weekly drinking (AOD). Results: AUDIT-defined harmful drinkers reported earlier …
Risky Cannabis Use Is Associated With Alexithymia, Frontal Lobe Dysfunction, And Impulsivity In Young Adult Cannabis Users, Michael Lyvers, Rueben Jamieson, Fred Thorberg
Risky Cannabis Use Is Associated With Alexithymia, Frontal Lobe Dysfunction, And Impulsivity In Young Adult Cannabis Users, Michael Lyvers, Rueben Jamieson, Fred Thorberg
Mike Lyvers
Risky or problematic alcohol use by young adults has been found to be associated with factors such as alexithymia, frontal lobe dysfunction, reward sensitivity, and impulsivity. One interpretation is that these factors reflect inherent traits that predispose to risky substance use in general, a notion examined in the present study. Alexithymia, everyday frontal lobe functioning, sensitivity to reward and punishment, and impulsivity were examined in 138 young adult cannabis users who were divided into Low Risk (n = 99) and Risky (n = 39) users according to their Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) scores. Risky cannabis use was significantly …
Trait Mindfulness In Relation To Emotional Self-Regulation And Executive Function, Michael Lyvers, Chloe Makin, Evan Toms, Fred Thorberg, Christina Samios
Trait Mindfulness In Relation To Emotional Self-Regulation And Executive Function, Michael Lyvers, Chloe Makin, Evan Toms, Fred Thorberg, Christina Samios
Mike Lyvers
The present study examined relationships of trait mindfulness to indices of mood, executive functions, and emotion regulation in 153 university students of both genders aged 18–30 years. Participants completed a questionnaire battery consisting of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) scale, Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. As predicted, MAAS mindfulness scores were significantly positively related to NMR expectancies and negatively related to DASS Depression, Anxiety and Stress scores, all three FrSBe indices of prefrontal cortex …
Alcohol Intoxication And Self-Reported Risky Sexual Behaviour Intentions With Highly Attractive Strangers In Naturalistic Settings, Michael Lyvers, Emma Cholakians, Megan Puorro, Shanti Sundram
Alcohol Intoxication And Self-Reported Risky Sexual Behaviour Intentions With Highly Attractive Strangers In Naturalistic Settings, Michael Lyvers, Emma Cholakians, Megan Puorro, Shanti Sundram
Mike Lyvers
Objective: The present investigation examined the relationship between alcohol intoxication and risky sex intentions in naturalistic settings.
Methods: Heterosexual young adults (n = 72) were approached at a campus pub and at campus parties. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured by a breath test and ranged from 0 to 0.18%. Participants rated their likely intent to have sex with 10 highly attractive unfamiliar models of the opposite gender, as depicted in photographs, if the opportunity arose. Photos varied in terms of accompanying information regarding risk, with three levels: slight risk, moderate risk and high risk.
Results: BAC …
Parental Bonding And Alexithymia: A Meta-Analysis, F. Thorberg, R. Young, K. Sullivan, Michael Lyvers
Parental Bonding And Alexithymia: A Meta-Analysis, F. Thorberg, R. Young, K. Sullivan, Michael Lyvers
Mike Lyvers
The primary purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore, clarify and report the strength of the relationship between alexithymia, as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and parenting style as measured by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI).
Methods - Web of Science, PsycInfo, PubMed and ProQuest: Dissertations and Theses searches were undertaken, yielding nine samples with sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis.
Results - Evidence indicated moderate to strong relationships between maternal care and alexithymia, and between maternal care and two of the three TAS-20 alexithymia facets (Difficulties Describing Feelings and Difficulties Identifying Feelings, but not Externally …
The Relationship Between Coping Strategies, Alcohol Expectancies, Drinking Motives And Drinking Behaviour, Penelope Hasking, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio
The Relationship Between Coping Strategies, Alcohol Expectancies, Drinking Motives And Drinking Behaviour, Penelope Hasking, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio
Mike Lyvers
Numerous models have been proposed in an attempt to explain both alcohol use and alcohol abuse. Many of these models propose that drinking behaviour is the result of a complex interplay of cognitive and behavioural variables including coping strategies, alcohol expectancies and motives for drinking. However few studies have explored how these elements may work together to predict drinking. The current study proposed a mediational model of alcohol use in which coping strategies are related to alcohol expectancies, which in turn are related to drinking motives. Drinking motives were then viewed as proximal predictors of drinking behaviour. There were 454 …
Risky Alcohol Use And Age At Onset Of Regular Alcohol Consumption In Relation To Frontal Lobe Indices, Reward Sensitivity And Rash Impulsiveness, Michael Lyvers, Helen Duff, Penelope Hasking
Risky Alcohol Use And Age At Onset Of Regular Alcohol Consumption In Relation To Frontal Lobe Indices, Reward Sensitivity And Rash Impulsiveness, Michael Lyvers, Helen Duff, Penelope Hasking
Mike Lyvers
Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to predisposing traits that may reflect frontal lobe functioning, an idea explored by this study. The study recruited 132 adults of both genders aged 18-68 years who completed an online questionnaire battery. Sensitivity to punishment was the primary variable associated with age of onset for weekly drinking. The relationship between disinhibition and drinking behavior, as assessed by the AUDIT, was partially mediated by sensitivity to reward. The findings of this study suggest that several interrelated and heritable personality and neurobehavioral traits may promote earlier as well as riskier alcohol consumption.
Attachment Security And Alexithymia In A Heavy Drinking Sample, F.A. Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, J. Connor, G. Feeney
Attachment Security And Alexithymia In A Heavy Drinking Sample, F.A. Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, J. Connor, G. Feeney
Mike Lyvers
Attachment difficulties have been proposed as a key risk factor for the development of alexithymia, a multifaceted personality trait characterised by difficulties identifying and describing feelings, a lack of imagination and an externally oriented thinking style. This study investigated the relationship between attachment and alexithymia in an alcohol dependent population. Participants were 210 outpatients in a Cognitive Behavioural Treatment programme assessed on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Revised Adult Attachment Scale. Significant relationships between anxious attachment and alexithymia factors were confirmed. Furthermore, alexithymic alcoholics reported significantly higher levels of anxious attachment and significantly lower levels of closeness (secure attachment) …
Strengthening The Case Against Functionally Significant Serotonergic Neurotoxicity In Human Mdma (Ecstasy) Users, Michael Lyvers
Strengthening The Case Against Functionally Significant Serotonergic Neurotoxicity In Human Mdma (Ecstasy) Users, Michael Lyvers
Mike Lyvers
Extract:Halpern and colleagues [1] have overcome some of the methodological issues raised previously [2] concerning their initial pilot study of ecstasy users [3]. Their latest study [1] found that of 15 neuropsychological tests tapping various cognitive and memory functions reported previously by others to differentiate ecstasy users from controls, only the Revised Strategy Applications Test (RSAT) showed a clear indication of poorer performance in heavy (but not moderate) ecstasy users compared to controls, ecstasy users were selected for low exposure to other illicit drugs and alcohol, whereas in most other studies of this type the influence of potentially confounding associations …
Alexithymia In Relation To Parental Alcoholism, Everyday Frontal Lobe Functioning And Alcohol Consumption In A Non-Clinical Sample, Michael Lyvers, Roy Onuoha, Fred Thorberg, Christina Samios
Alexithymia In Relation To Parental Alcoholism, Everyday Frontal Lobe Functioning And Alcohol Consumption In A Non-Clinical Sample, Michael Lyvers, Roy Onuoha, Fred Thorberg, Christina Samios
Mike Lyvers
Background: Recent studies have indicated that 45–67% of those in treatment for alcohol use disorders suffer from alexithymia, a multifaceted personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing emotions and an externally oriented cognitive style. The high reported prevalence rates of alexithymia among those with alcohol dependence led to speculation that alexithymia is a personality dimension that may predispose to risky or problematic alcohol use.Methods: This notion was examined in 314 adult volunteers (54% female) aged 18–45 years (M=27.6 years), all of whom reported at least occasional alcohol consumption,who completed online surveys assessing alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, or TAS-20), parental …
Alexithymia In Alcohol Dependent Patients Is Partially Mediated By Alcohol Expectancy, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
Alexithymia In Alcohol Dependent Patients Is Partially Mediated By Alcohol Expectancy, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
Mike Lyvers
Background: Up to fifty percent of alcohol dependent individuals have alexithymia, a personality trait characterised by difficulties identifying and describing feelings, a lack of imagination and an externalised cognitive style. Although studies have examined alexithymia in relation to alcohol dependence, no research exists on mechanisms underlying this relationship. The present study examined the mediational effect of alcohol expectancies on alexithymia and alcohol dependence.Methods: 230 outpatients completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire (DEQ) and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT).Results: Regression analysis showed that alexithymia and alcohol dependence was, in two of three cases, partially mediated …
A Psychometric Comparison Of The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Tas-20) And The Observer Alexithymia Scale (Oas) In An Alcohol-Dependent Sample, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
A Psychometric Comparison Of The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Tas-20) And The Observer Alexithymia Scale (Oas) In An Alcohol-Dependent Sample, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
Mike Lyvers
Alexithymia is characterised by deficits in emotional insight and self-reflection that impact on the efficacy of psychological treatments. Given the high prevalence of alexithymia in Alcohol Use Disorders, valid assessment tools are critical. The majority of research on the relationship between alexithymia and alcohol-dependence has employed the self-administered Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), The Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS) has also been recommended. The aim of the present study was to assess the validity and reliability of the OAS and the TAS-20 in an alcohol-dependent sample. Two hundred and ten alcohol-dependent participants in an outpatient Cognitive Behavioral Treatment program were administered the …
Alexithymia, Craving And Attachment In A Heavy Drinking Population, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
Alexithymia, Craving And Attachment In A Heavy Drinking Population, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney
Mike Lyvers
Up to fifty per cent of individuals with Alcohol use disorders (AUD) also have alexithymia a personality construct hypothesized to be related to attachment difficulties. The relationship between alexithymia, craving, anxious attachment and alcohol-dependence severitywas examined in254 patients participating in a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) programfor alcohol-dependence. Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), the Revised Adult Attachment Anxiety Subscale (RAAS-Anxiety) and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). MANOVA indicated that individuals with alexithymia reported significantly higher levels of totalOCDS, obsessive thoughts about alcohol, and compulsive drinking urges and behavior, compared to the non-alexithymic …
Alexithymia And Alcohol Use Disorders: A Critical Review, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers
Alexithymia And Alcohol Use Disorders: A Critical Review, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers
Mike Lyvers
All human beings experience emotion. However a number of individuals have difficulties recognising, processing and regulating their emotions. This set of emotional “deficits’ is classified as alexithymia. The prevalence rate of alexithymia in alcohol use disorders is between 45 and 67%. The objective of this paper is to review the published research on alexithymia and alcohol use, assess the methodological quality of this evidence, and draw the findings together to present a critical update on the relationship between alexithymia and alcohol use disorders. Yet, few research studies have comprehensively investigated alexithymia in alcohol use disorders, and a number of key …