Temperament, character traits and alexithymia in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

Introduction: Alexithymia levels have generally been found high in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It is thought that there is a correlation between alexithymia and the severity of OCD symptoms. One of the factors influencing alexithymia is temperament-character traits. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the temperament-character traits in OCD patients and the correlation of these traits with alexithymia. Methods: This study included 43 OCD patients who applied to Atatürk University Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and 33 healthy individuals as the control group. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-IV), Sociodemographic and clinical data form, and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were applied to participants whereas Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was additionally applied to the patient group.Results: No difference was detected between both groups in terms of age and gender. In the OCD group, harm avoidance (HA) and self-transcendence (ST) scores were found high, and self-directedness (SD), cooperativeness (C) and novelty seeking (NS) were found low when compared to the control group. In the OCD group, difficulty in expressing feelings (TAS-B), extroverted thinking (TAS-C) and TAS-20 scores were found to be higher than the control group. In the alexithymic OCD group, the mean disorderliness and persistence(P) scores were found to be lower compared to the non-alexithymic group. A positive correlation was discovered between Y-BOCS scores and TAS-C scores in OCD patients.Conclusion: Alexithymia is observed at a high rate in OCD. The extroverted thinking sub-dimension of alexithymia is correlated with the severity of OCD symptoms. Some temperament-personality traits differ in alexithymic-OCD patients compared to those who are not alexithymic. The evaluation of alexithymia and the factors influencing alexithymia has the potential to offer a new approach to understand the etiology and treatment of OCD

Hipertansiyon Hastalarında Bilinçli Farkındalık Düzeyinin İlaç Uyumuna Etkisi

ÖZ Amaç: Çalışmada hipertansiyon hastalarının bilinçli farkındalık düzeylerinin antihipertansif ilaç uyumuna olan etkisi araştırılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya katılmaya onam veren kişilerden okur yazar olan, en az bir yıldır antihipertansif kullanıyor olan 18-65 yaş aralığındaki hipertansif hastalar çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Ölçek doldurmayı engelleyecek düzeyde mental yetersizliği ve/veya mental hastalığı bulunanlar çalışma dışında bırakılmıştır. Kesitsel ve tanımlayıcı bir araştırmadır. Katılımcılara sosyo-demografik veri formu, Bilinçli Farkındalık ölçeği (BFÖ) ve Modifiye Morisky Tedavi Uyum ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Yaş ortalaması düşük olan hastaların ilaç uyumu düşük olarak saptandı. Cinsiyet, eğitim düzeyi, çalışma durumu ve medeni durum açısından bakıldığında gruplar arasında ilaç uyumu açısından anlamlı fark yoktu. Ailesinde hipertansiyon öyküsü olanlarda ilaç uyumunun düşük olma oranı orta-yüksek olma oranına kıyasla anlamlı şekilde yüksekti. İlaç uyumu skorlarında hipertansiyon hastalığının süresi açısından istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı bir fark yoktu. BFÖ skor ortalamaları ilaç uyumu orta-yüksek olanlarda anlamlı şekilde daha yüksekti. Sonuç: Çalışma sonuçlarımız hipertansif hasta grubunda ilaç uyumunun düşük olduğu, farkındalık ve uyum arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu yönünde kanıt sunmaktadır. Diğer kronik hastalıklarda olduğu gibi hipertansiyon hastalarında da ilaç uyumunun artırılması, bu amaçla ilaç uyumunu etkileyen farkındalık düzeyinin artırılması hayati önem arz etmektedir. Çalışma verilerimiz bu alanda yapılacak klinik müdahaleler için farkındalık oluşturacaktır

Evaluation of Alexithymia, Anger and Temperament Features in Insomnia Patients with Sexual Dysfunction

Aim: One of the most common sleep disorders is insomnia, and it is also an independent risk factor related to sexual dysfunction (SD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the anger parameters, temperament parameters, and alexithymia in insomnia patients with SD. Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 92 patients diagnosed with insomnia according to the third edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. The sociodemographic data form, Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA), Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) were applied to the patients. Results: While 62 patients had SD, 30 patients had no SD. ISI, PSQI, anger in score were significantly higher in patients with SD (p=0.048, p=0.007, p=0.032, respectively). While depressive and anxious temperament was significantly higher in patients with SD (p=0.026, p=0.008, respectively), hyperthymic temperament was significantly higher in patients without SD (p=0.013). ISI score, depressive, and anxious temperament were significantly correlated with the ASEX score (r=0.214, p=0.041; r=0.261, p=0.012; r=0.286, p=0.007, respectively). Linear regression revealed that depressive, cyclothymic, and irritable temperaments were predictors of ISI (p=0.001). According to logistic regression, hyperthymic temperament was an independent predictor of SD (p=0.001). Conclusion: Psychological factors should also be considered in studies conducted on the relationship between insomnia and SD. Further research is needed on temperament characteristics, alexithymia and anger issues. Thus, patients can be approached more comprehensively