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Emotional Awareness and Alexithymia in Smokers Seeking Help for Cessation: A Clinical Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Solange Carton ,
Sophie Bayard ,
Céline Jouanne  and
Gilbert Lagrue
Solange Carton*
Affiliation:
Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, France. [email protected]
Sophie Bayard
Affiliation:
Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, France.
Céline Jouanne
Affiliation:
Université Paris 8, France.
Gilbert Lagrue
Affiliation:
Hôpital Albert Chenevier, Consultation de Tabacologie, Créteil, France.
*
*Address for correspondence: Solange Carton, Université Montpellier III Paul Valéry. Département de Psychologie. Section de Psychologie Clinique. Route de Mende. 34199 Montpellier Cedex 5. France.
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Abstract

The construct of emotional awareness refers to attending to, identifying, differentiating, and labelling emotions in oneself and in others. Forty-two smokers were evaluated before they stopped smoking and also filled out the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS). Subjects had low levels of emotional awareness and their scores on the emotional components of the TAS-20 were high in comparison to the general French population. No relationship was found between TAS-20 and LEAS, which confirms that these scales measure complementary dimensions of emotional processing that are only partially linked. Whereas sensation seeking was lower in self-rated alexithymic subjects, high scores on Boredom Susceptibility and total SSS among women were related to low LEAS scores. The results highlighted impairment of emotion processing in these subjects. Their state versus trait status is discussed, as well as their defensive functions. Treatment targeting emotional abilities enhancement for these subjects, as in other addictions, may help improve treatment of tobacco dependence.

Keywords

emotional awarenessalexithymiasensation seekingsmoking cessation
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Smoking Cessation , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , 01 December 2008 , pp. 81 - 91
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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