A Comparative Study of Alexithymia in Patients with Schizophrenia and Normal People: The Case of Egypt

Abstract

Alexithymia is a psychological construct that focuses on the description and identification of an individual's emotions. It further differentiates these emotions from the physical sensations experienced by the body. The primary objective of this study was to analyse and compare the levels of Alexithymia in both normal males and schizophrenia patients. This study utilised a descriptive research design. The data was collected from 13 males diagnosed with schizophrenia, as well as 28 males without any mental health conditions. This study used the Toronto Alexithymia Scale to gather data from the study participants. The research findings revealed a notable distinction between normal males and schizophrenic males. The score of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia was higher than that of patients without the condition. In addition, schizophrenia patients faced challenges with regards to thinking about the outside world and recognising their own emotions. The findings of this study have important implications for the development of therapy for cognitive behaviour in patients with schizophrenia, both in theory and in practice. This research also explores the important aspects of schizophrenia that can contribute to future studies.