Alexithymia, fibromyalgia, and psychological distress among adolescents: literature review

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the literature regarding the relationships between alexithymia, fibromyalgia (FM), and psychological distress among adolescents. Google Scholar and databases were searched using alexithymia, fibromyalgia, psychological distress, and adolescent keywords. Studies that examine the relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia and the contribution of psychological distress on this relationship among adolescents are lacking. However, based on previous studies on adult samples and theoretical background, there are possible relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia as well as possible mediating effect of psychological distress on this relationship in adolescents. Further studies are recommended to examine the relationships between alexithymia, fibromyalgia, and psychological distress among adolescents.