Introduction: Various psychological factors play a role in mental disorders. The aim of this study was comparing of alexithymia, defensive styles and state-trait anxiety among patients with generalized anxiety disorder, major depression disorder and normal individuals.
Method: The research method was expose-facto. Population included all of clients to Rasoul Akram Medical Center in Shahrood city, during spring 2012 which among them 219 participants were selected by using the available sampling method. This sample was divided into three groups. A group with 49 participants with diagnosis of GAD, a group with 60 participants with diagnosis of MDD and the other with 110 participants included normal individuals. Participants filled out Toronto Alexithymia scale-20(TAS-20), defense styles questionnaire-40(DSQ-40) and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). For data analysis, used multivariate analysis of variance.
Results: The results represented that there are among patient with GAD, MDD, and normal individuals significant difference in dimensions of Alexithymia, defense styles and state-trait anxiety’s scores mean difficulties in identifying feelings and difficulties in describing feelings, trait anxiety and immature defense style in patients with GAD and MDD was higher than normal people. State anxiety score’s mean in patients with GAD was higher than patients with MDD and normal people. Any significant difference was not seen in neurotic defense style’s score mean among groups.
Conclusion: The patients with GAD and MDD, experience higher anxious than normal individuals. The results represented importance of defense styles and dimensions of Alexithymia in patients with GAD and MDD.