Psychosomatic Features Related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome: the Role of Alexithymia on Patients’ Perceived Quality of Life

Introduction: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disabling disorder accompanied by significant psychological features and foreseeing high social burden. The role of psychological variables in the onset and course of pathology is central. Considering recent contributions, subjects suffering from IBS need accurate psychological assessments in order to detect the extent of adverse psychological phenomena. Methods: This contribution considers a population of people suffering from IBS. The cross-sectional study provided standardized instruments to investigate the impact of alexithymia on subjects’ quality of life. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and SF-36 were administered in order to assess alexithymia and perceived quality of life respectively. Descriptive, correlational and regressions analyses were performed. Results: The results highlighted how alexithymia assumed opposite directions with reference to quality of life. Correlational analyses showed how higher levels of alexithymia corresponded to a lower perceived quality of life. Through linear regression analysis, it was possible to realize the predictive role of alexithymia decreasing perceived quality of life. In particular, higher levels of alexithymia, difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings predicted decreased perceived quality of life. Externally oriented thinking deserves more attention. Discussion: Results suggested the need to structure clinical research paths aimed at understanding the extent of alexithymia prevalence and role in patients with IBS. Thus, structuring interventions reducing alexithymia and improving individuals’ quality of life is crucial. Studies dedicated to the phenomenon are encouraged in order to enrich the state of the art.