The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20): A measure of general psychological distress

The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., & Taylor, G. J. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 23–32.) is the most commonly used measure of Alexithymia (= difficulties identifying and describing one’s own feelings). Sixty-three persons (34 psychiatric inpatients, 29 healthy controls) first filled in the TAS-20 and were then interviewed about their interpersonal relationships. Two raters coded the emotional experiences that the participants reported during these interviews. Contrary to expectations, participants with higher TAS-20 scores reported more emotions (particularly negative ones), and more different emotions, questioning the validity of the TAS-20 as a measure of Alexithymia. Based on correlation patterns and a joint factor analysis with two well-established measures of psychopathology, it is concluded that the TAS-20 assesses a general psychological distress factor.     

The Toronto Manifesto

Within the past century there were two major ventures to advance the building of a scientific theory of evolution. The first was the building of the neoDarwinian paradigm during the early part of the century. The second was the sociobiological paradigm late in the century. Both made important contributions to science, but at the same time both shared the same monumental blind side. Claiming the Darwinian heritage exclusively for themselves, they rigorously excluded everything that both in Darwin earlier and throughout the 20th century in the whole of science-particularly among creative evolution theorists across the full spectrum of science, that is in many fields linked together by a meeting ground in systems science-sought to expand evolution theory to capture the heights as well as the depths embraced by the actuality of humanity, as our species' potential, and of nature.     

Group psychotherapy in chronic psychiatric outpatients: a Toronto model.

Seventy to 80 chronic psychiatric patients are treated in an aftercare clinic with a goal of tertiary preventive care. The major component of the treatment approach is reality-oriented group psychotherapy with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships. Attention to three factors in group psychotherapy with this population of patients has facilitated our work and outcome. These are the concept of the core group, diagnostic heterogeneity, and staff structure.