Sjogren's Syndrome: Inability to Cry

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2011/05/26 - Updated: 2023/09/15
Publication Type: Study
Category Topic: Autoimmune Diseases - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Patients with Sjogren's syndrome experience dryness of the eyes and mouth as well as other parts of the body including the inability to cry. This may affect their ability to express their emotions and they often have to rely on words and facial expressions instead of tears as a result.

Introduction

The results of a Dutch study of 300 patients demonstrated that 22% of patients with Sjogren's syndrome were classified as clinically 'alexithymic' (experiencing difficulty identifying and describing emotions) compared to 12% of healthy controls.

Main Content

Subsequent results of the study showed that higher levels of alexithymia were moderately correlated with worse mental wellbeing in both groups (Pearson's correlation(r) 0.32, p< 0.001), showing that there is a proven link between the two.

Interestingly, in patients with Sjogren's syndrome, levels of emotion suppression also correlated with worse mental wellbeing in patients (r=-0.13, p=0.03), an effect that was seen less in the control group.

"Patients with Sjogren's syndrome experience chronic dryness of the eyes and mouth as well as other parts of the body, and thus have a hampered ability to cry. This may affect their ability to express their emotions and they often have to rely on words and facial expressions instead of tears as a result" said Ms. Ninke Van Leeuwen from Utrecht University.

"We hope that the results of our study will drive further research to examine different psychological interventions that can benefit patients with Sjogren's syndrome who have emotional processing problems."

Validated questionnaires were used to assess the emotional processing, regulation and mental well-being of 300 patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome in the Netherlands area and 100 demographically matched healthy controls (mean age 56.8 years, 93% female).

The questionnaires evaluated responses on the emotional processing styles including affect intensity (the strength of the emotions with which individuals respond to certain stimulus), alexithymia, cognitive reappraisal (the use of coping strategies for dealing with negative thoughts and feelings), expression and suppression of emotions and mental wellbeing.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.

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APA: Disabled World. (2011, May 26 - Last revised: 2023, September 15). Sjogren's Syndrome: Inability to Cry. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved November 15, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/health/autoimmunediseases/cry.php

MLA: Disabled World. "Sjogren's Syndrome: Inability to Cry." Disabled World (DW), 26 May. 2011, revised 15 Sep. 2023. Web. 15 Nov. 2025. <www.disabled-world.com/health/autoimmunediseases/cry.php>.

Chicago: Disabled World. "Sjogren's Syndrome: Inability to Cry." Disabled World (DW). Last modified September 15, 2023. www.disabled-world.com/health/autoimmunediseases/cry.php.

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