Pain severity is typically associated with both depression and alexithymia (a personality trait characterized by poor ability to identify personal emotions). Furthermore, there is a modest but significant relationship between depression and alexithymia. Addressing a gap in the literature, this study directly investigates the relationship between pain, alexithymia, and depression. Methods. Participants included 65 patients with current depression (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) and 96 participants without current depression (i.e. healthy volunteers and individuals with a history of depression, in remission), average age 52 years (SD= 17.9, range= 19.90). Depression was assessed through the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression (Hamilton, 1960). Alexithymia was measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Taylor, 1992). Participants were divided into low (scores