The attribution of common somatic symptoms was investigated in 100 psy
chiatric outpatients. Subjects who were more depressed and alexithymic
as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) tended to endorse
a psychological attribution for somatic complaints. Somatosensory ampl
ification, anxiety, and inability to express and report specific feeli
ngs predieted psychological attribution. The data support the role of
alexithymia in somatization and further explain a possible role of psy
chological attribution of somatic symptoms in the underrecognition of
physical disorders in psychiatric patients. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B.
Saunders Company