The relationship between alexithymia, defense mechanisms, eating disorders, anxiety and depression.

INTRODUCTION: Research suggests that alexithymia is a significant element for emotion processing, while defense mechanisms proved to be important factors for adjusting to stressful life events and to cope with potential psychopathologies. AIMS: The aims of the present study are to examine the relationships between alexithymia, defense mechanisms, depression, anxiety and eating disorders and to examine the mediation role of defense mechanisms in the relation between alexithymia and anxiety, depression and eating disorders. MATERIAL: In a sample of 283 subjects, aged 18-49 (M=2.33, DS=4.81), instruments were administered to measure alexithymia, defense mechanisms, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. RESULTS: This study showed that alexithymia was positively related to anxiety, depression, general psychological maladjustment, eating disorder risk, maladaptive style defense mechanisms, image-distorting style defense mechanisms, self-sacrificing style defense mechanisms, whereas it was negatively related to Mature Style Defense Mechanisms. Implications of the findings are discussed.

[The origin of depression in Alzheimer disease: a systematic review]. / L'origine della depressione nella malattia di Alzheimer: una revisione della letteratura.

AIM: Depression was associated to Alzheimer's disease (AD), even if its role as predictive symptom, risk factor or reactive factor remains unclear. The aim of this review was to investigate the relation between depression and AD. More specifically, we aimed to examine if depression may be a prodrome of AD or an early reaction to cognitive decline. METHODS: A systematic review based on the electronic bibliographic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Web of Knowledge) was carried out on the scientific literature from 2010 to 2016. Observational studies and literature reviews were included, searched for predefined inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 29 studies were included. Most of the reviews reported that depression may be a risk factor for dementia. Moreover, frequency and severity of depressive episodes may increase the risk for dementia. However, the results are contradictory to a possible risk difference between early or late depression in determining the occurrence of AD. CONCLUSIONS: Depression may be a prodrome of dementia and a risk factor of AD. However, the hypothesis of depression as risk factor is the most accredited one. Finally, there is one evidence suggesting that depression is a reaction to cognitive decline of AD.