Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Male sexuality and regulation of emotions: a study on the association between alexithymia and erectile dysfunction (ED)

Abstract

Alexithymia is a multidimensional construct that describes a constellation of personality features characterised by difficulties in differentiating, identifying and communicating emotions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate prevalence of alexithymia in outpatients with erectile dysfunction (ED), both in the psychogenic lifelong type (PLED) and in the acquired one (PAED). ED severity was evaluated with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and alexithymia was measured using the Italian version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The results suggest a high incidence of alexithymic characteristics in patients with psychogenic ED, a positive correlation between the alexithymia level and ED severity in patients with PAED and statistically significant differences in the alexithymia level between the two subgroups PLED and PAED. We assumed that alexithymia contributes to the origin of the PLED, and to a more severe manifestation of ED, once it appears in the acquired form.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Taylor GJ, Bagby RM, Parker JDA . The alexithymia construct: a potential paradigm for psychosomatic medicine. Psychosomatics 1991; 32: 153–164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Taylor GB, Bagby RM, Ryan DP, Parker JDA . Validation of the alexithymia construct: a measurement-based approach. Can J Psychiatry 1990; 35: 290–297.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Taylor GJ, Bagby RM, Parker JDA . Disorders of Affect Regulation: Alexithymia in Medical and Psychiatric Illness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Sifneos PE . The prevalence of alexithymic characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychother Psychosomatics 1973; 22: 255–262.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Nemiah JC . Alexithymia and psychosomatic illness. J Continuing Educ Psychiatry 1978; 39: 25–37.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Loas G, Fremaux D, Otmani O, Verrier A . Prevalence de l'alexithymie en population générale chez 183 sujet ‘tout venant’ et chez 263 étudiants. Ann Médico-Psycol 1995; 153: 355–357.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Salminem JK, Saarijärvi S, Äärelä E, Toikka T, Kauhanen J . Prevalence of alexithymia and its association with sociodemographic variables in the general population of Finland. J Psychosomatic Res 1998; 46: 75–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Haviland MG, Hendryx MS, Shaw DC, Henry JP . Alexithymia in women and men hospitalised for psychoactive substance dependence. Comprehensive Psychiatry 1995; 35: 124–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bourke MP, Taylor GJ, Parker JDA, Bagby RM . Alexithymia in women with Anorexia Nervosa. Br J Psychiatry 1992; 161: 240–243.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Thome A . Alexithymia and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Psychother Psychosomatics 1990; 54: 40–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Costa M, Solano L, Auditore F, Petri N, Maiorana T, Cinanni V et al. Adequate emotional processing as a main psychobiological determinant of safe or unsafe behaviour in HIV-1 infection: a study on 1206 male subjects. In: 2nd International Conference on the (non) Expression of Emotions. Tilburg: Health and Disease, 1999, pp. 128–129.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dewaraja R, Tanigawa T, Araki S, Nakata A, Kawamura N, Ago Y et al. Decreased cytotoxic lymphocyte counts in alexythymia. Psychother Psychosomatics 1997; 66: 83–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Morelli G, De Gennaro L, Ferrara M, Dondero F, Lenzi A, Lombardo F et al. Psychosocial factors and male seminal parameters. Biol Psychol 2000; 53: 1–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Madioni F, Mammana LA . Toronto Alexithymia Scale in outpatients with sexual disorders. Psychopathology 2001; 34: 95–98.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wise TN, Osborne C, Strand J, Fagan PJ, Schmidt CW . Alexithymia in patients attending a sexual disorders clinic. J Sex Marital Ther 2002; 28: 445–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Brody S . Alexithymia is inversely associated with women's frequency of vaginal intercourse. Arch Sexual Behav 2003; 32: 73–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Masters WH, Johnson VE . Human Sexual Inadequacy. London: Churchill, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Abraham G, Pasini W (eds.). Introduction nà la sexologie médicale. Payot: Parigi, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  19. American Psychiatric Association. DSM IV-TR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 edn., text. rev. Washington DC and London: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

  20. Rosen RC, Wagner G, Osterloh IH, Kirkpatrick J, Mishra A . The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF): a multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction. Urology 1997; 49: 822–830.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Rosen RC, Cappelleri JC, Gendrano N . The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF): a state-of-the-science review. Int J Impot Res 2002; 14: 226–244.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Parker JDA, Bagby RM, Taylor GJ, Endler NS, Schmitz P . Factorial validity of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Eur J Personality 1993; 7: 221–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Bagby RM, Parker JDA, Taylor GJ . The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale – I. Item selection and cross validation of the factor structure. J Psychosomatic Res 1994; 38: 23–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bagby RM, Parker JDA, Taylor GJ . The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale – II. Convergent discriminant and concurrent validity. J Psychosomatic Res 1994; 38: 33–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bressi C, Taylor G, Parker J, Bressi S, Brambilla V, Aguglia E et al. Cross validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: an Italian multicentre study. J Psychosomatic Res 1996; 41: 551–559.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kaplan SH . Disorders of Sexual Desire. New York: Brunner Mazel, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Pasini W, Crèpault C . L'imaginaire en sexologie clinique. Paris: PUF, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Purifoy FE, Grodsky A, Giambra LM . The relationship of sexual daydreaming to sexual activity, sexual drive and sexual attitudes for women across the life-span. Arch Sexual Behav 1992; 21: 369–385.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Feldman HA, Goldstein I, McKinlay JB, Hatzichristou DG, Krane RJ . Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates in men aged 40–70: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 1994; 151: 54–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Araujo AB, Johannes CB, Feldman HA, Derby CA, McKinlay JB . Relation between psychosocial risk factors and incident erectile dysfunction: prospective results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. Am J Epidemiol 2000; 15: 533–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Flannery JG . Alexithymia II. The association with unexplained physical distress. Psychother Psychosomatics 1978; 30: 193–197.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Schraa JC, Dicks JF . Hypnotic treatment of the alexithymic patient: a case report. Am J Clin Hypnother 1981; 23: 207–210.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P M Michetti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Michetti, P., Rossi, R., Bonanno, D. et al. Male sexuality and regulation of emotions: a study on the association between alexithymia and erectile dysfunction (ED). Int J Impot Res 18, 170–174 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901386

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901386

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links