Objective To investigate the alexithymia, mental health condition and their relationship in female rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods Fifty-four female patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 50 healthy women were enrolled and assessed with Chinese version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the symptom checklist-90(SCL-90). Disease duration and DAS28 of the patients were also recorded and calculated. The data were statistical analyzed by t test between the two groups and other block groups. The association between TAS-20, SCL-90, duration and DAS28 was assessed using Spearman corre-lations. Results ① The TAS-20 total score and Tf1, Tf2, Tf3 factors score of female rheumatoid arthritis patients were significantly higher than those of the control group (57±9, 51±7, t=4.15, P<0.01); it was also the same with the total score and factors score of SCL-90 (beside the paranoid factor) between patients and control groups (165±50, 138±41, t=3.06, P<0.05). ② Correlation analysis showed significantly positive correlation between Tf1 factor and all factors of SCL-90, also between Tf3 factor and obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, phobias and paranoid factors(P<0.05). ③ Only hostility factor was different between the higher TAS-20 total score group and the lower one. However, the obsession-compulsion, anxiety and phobias factors scores of the higher Tf1 score group were significantly higher than those of the lower one (P<0.05); The higher Tf3 score group was significantly different from the lower one in obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, paranoid and psychoticism factors (P<0.05). The Tf1 factor score of higher SCL-90 total score group was significant higher than that of the lower one (P<0.05). ④ There were significantly positive correlation between duration and depression and paranoid factors, also between
DAS28 and anxiety and paranoid factors (P <0.05). Conclusion There is obvious alexithymia and psychological problems in female rheumatoid arthritis patients; the Tf1 and Tf3 factors of TAS-20, duration and DAS28 are all major factors related to the psychological state.