A 24-item validated measure of alexithymia — difficulty identifying and describing one's own emotions, and a tendency toward externally oriented thinking. Published open-access in 2018 as a freely available alternative to the TAS-20. Alexithymia is significantly more common in autistic and ADHD individuals.
Before you begin: Alexithymia is not a disorder — it is a dimension of emotional processing that exists on a spectrum. It is significantly more common in autistic and ADHD individuals, and is often a key factor in why therapy can feel frustrating without the right approach. The PAQ is used here in place of the TAS-20, which is under copyright restriction. It covers the same constructs and was published open-access specifically to be freely available.
Note on the frequency scale: Questions ask how often you experience something — 1 = Never, 5 = Always. Answer based on your general experience, not a specific moment.
This is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. It was developed for research and produces a score that indicates whether a fuller assessment may be worth pursuing. A score cannot tell you whether you are alexithymic. Only a qualified clinician working with your full history can do that.
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