SFEBES2025 Poster Presentations Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes (68 abstracts)
Alexithymia and anxiety-depressive disorders in patients with hypothyroidism and the importance of control in a south american hospital using two scales
Luis Dulcey 1 , Valentina Ochoa 2 , Jorge Hernández 2 , Valentina Navas 2 , Harold Torres Pinzon 2 , Juan Theran 2 , Andres Resarte 2 , Diego Torres 2 , Jaime Gómez 3 & Harold Torres 2
1University of Andes, Mérida, Venezuela; 2University of Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia; 3Autonomous University of Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Introduction: Hypothyroidism, a prevalent endocrine disorder, significantly affects patients’ psychological well-being. Among its psychological manifestations, alexithymia—difficulty identifying and expressing emotions—has been linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Additionally, anxiety and depressive disorders frequently coexist with hypothyroidism, complicating the clinical picture and affecting treatment adherence. Understanding the prevalence of these conditions is vital for comprehensive treatment strategies.
Objective: To analyze the prevalence of alexithymia and anxiety-depressive disorders in patients with manifest hypothyroidism, both newly diagnosed and pharmacologically compensated.
Materials and Methods: This open comparative study involved 100 patients with hypothyroidism, divided into two groups: newly diagnosed manifest hypothyroidism (Group 1; n = 50) and pharmacologically compensated hypothyroidism (Group 2; n = 50). The study was conducted in 2022. Both groups were comparable in gender, age, body mass index, etiology of hypothyroidism, and comorbidities. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), while anxiety and depression levels were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
Results: A personality profile of alexithymia was identified in 52 patients, with 60 exhibiting anxiety and/or depression. Patients with alexithymia reported significantly more complaints (P = 0.003) than those without. A positive correlation was found between TAS and HADS scores (P < 0.05). More than half of the patients in both groups showed symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, with no significant differences between groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: High prevalence rates of alexithymia, anxiety, and/or depression were observed in both groups, indicating a need for targeted psychological support in hypothyroid patients to improve their quality of life and treatment satisfaction.
Keywords: hypothyroidism, alexithymia, anxiety, depression.
Volume 109
Article tools
My recent searches
My recently viewed abstracts
Authors
Endocrine Abstracts
ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)
© Bioscientifica 2025 |
Privacy policy |
Cookie settings
BiosciAbstracts
Bioscientifica Abstracts is the gateway to a series of products that provide a permanent, citable record of abstracts for biomedical and life science conferences.
Find out more