Relationship of numbing to alexithymia, apathy, and depression

The present study assessed the relationship between numbing and three assoc iated conditions of alexithymia, apathy, and depression, utilizing data col lected on 353 Vietnam combat veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress D isorder from in- and out-patient settings and an outreach center at various Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. ALL subjects completed fou r self-report measures: the Clover Numbing Scale (C), the Beck Depression I nventory, the Apathy Evaluation Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 . The correlation matrix indicated that scores on the four measures were mo derately to highly correlated. Principal components analysis with a varimax rotation indicated a five-factor solution that provided evidence for the f actorial validity of each of the constructs assessed. Results of the factor analysis of items from the four measures were consistent with numbing bein g a separate and distinct construct from alexithymia, apathy, and depressio n. In general, results indicated that all constructs measured were separate and distinct from one another.