Alexithymia and Rumination Predict Somatic Symptoms in Elderly Individual
Keywords:
Alexithymia, Rumination, Somatization, ElderlyAbstract
The elderly individuals are often viewed as one of society's most vulnerable groups because of the physical and psychological changes they experience. This research aims to forecast physical symptoms in elderly individuals by analyzing alexithymia and rumination. The current research utilized a descriptive-correlational research design and a cross-sectional approach. The statistical population for this study comprised elderly individuals residing in elderly care facilities in Tehran from July to September 2023. A total of 72 elderly individuals (both male and female) were selected as the sample using a simple random sampling technique. The research instruments utilized were The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), the Rumination Response Scale (RRS), and the Physical Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ). Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 27 software, which included descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and Pearson correlation tests. The p-value for the study was set at 0.05. Based on the findings, the research showed that the Difficulty identifying feeling aspect had a notable and favorable impact on Physical Symptoms (p <0.001). Likewise, the Difficulty describing feeling aspect also had a noteworthy and beneficial influence on Physical Symptoms (p <0.001). On the other hand, the Externally Oriented Thinking aspect did not show a meaningful influence on Physical Symptoms (p = 0.173). Meanwhile, Rumination was found to have a notable and beneficial impact on Physical Symptoms (p <0.001). The findings of this research indicate that the Difficulty Identifying and Describing Feeling component, as well as Ruminating, can lead to a greater presence of physical symptoms in elderly people. These results may offer valuable insights for healthcare providers, particularly doctors, psychologists, and therapists, as they strive to comprehend the connection between mental and physical health concerns in elderly individuals.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Reza Hojati, Kamran Tamanaei Astahbanati, Zahra Hajimoradian, Niloofar Etemadi Chehardeh (Author); Mitra Noushin Rad
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