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Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

Erschienen in:

01.09.2010 | Regular Article

Repressive coping and alexithymia in idiopathic environmental intolerance

verfasst von: Sine Skovbjerg, Robert Zachariae, Alice Rasmussen, Jeanne Duus Johansen, Jesper Elberling

Erschienen in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Ausgabe 5/2010

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Abstract

Objective

To examine if the non-expression of negative emotions (i.e., repressive coping) and differences in the ability to process and regulate emotions (i.e., alexithymia) is associated with idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI).

Methods

The study included participants who had previously participated in a general population-based study and reported symptoms of environmental intolerance (n = 787) and patients with IEI (n = 237). The participants completed questionnaires assessing IEI, namely, a measure of repressive coping combining scores on the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) and the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (TMAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and a negative affectivity scale (NAS). Multiple, hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted using IEI variables as the dependent variables.

Results

The TMAS and MCSDS scores were independently associated with the IEI variables, but there was no evidence of a role of the repressive coping construct. While the total alexithymia score was unrelated to IEI, the TAS-20 subscale of difficulties identifying feelings (DIF) was independently associated with symptoms attributed to IEI. Negative affectivity was a strong independent predictor of the IEI variables and a mediator of the association between DIF and IEI.

Conclusion

Our results provide no evidence for a role of repressive coping in IEI, and our hypothesis of an association with alexithymia was only partly supported. In contrast, strong associations between IEI and negative emotional reactions, defensiveness and difficulties identifying feelings were found, suggesting a need for exploring the influence of these emotional reactions in IEI.

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Titel: Repressive coping and alexithymia in idiopathic environmental intolerance
verfasst von: Sine Skovbjerg
Robert Zachariae
Alice Rasmussen
Jeanne Duus Johansen
Jesper Elberling
Publikationsdatum: 01.09.2010
Verlag: Springer Japan
Erschienen in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine / Ausgabe 5/2010
Print ISSN: 1342-078X
Elektronische ISSN: 1347-4715
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-010-0143-4

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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