Alexithymia and comparison of alternative treatments to talk therapy for people who have a mental health diagnosis

This research study was a quantitative, descriptive investigation of the relationship between the rate of alexithymia in the mental health population and exploring the helpfulness of alternative treatments compared to traditional talk therapy. An online based questionnaire, using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), a Likert scale used to measure the presence of alexithymia, and an open-ended comment section, was administer anonymously to fifty-four people with a mental health diagnosis. The major areas of interest were levels of alexithymia in the mental health population and finding out about the helpfulness of alternative treatments. Participants had higher than average scores on the TAS-20. Though several participants found alternative treatments helpful for their mental health, a majority of the participants have never tried alternative treatments described in the study. ALEXITHYMIA AND COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS TO TALK THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS A project based upon an independent investigation, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Social Work Rebekah Milhoan Smith College School for Social Work Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 2017