Abstract
Alexithymic traits, which entail finding it difficult to recognize and describe one’s own emotions, are linked with poor trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and difficulties in identifying and managing stressors. There is evidence that alexithymia may have detrimental consequences for wellbeing and health, beginning in adolescence. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence and incidence of alexithymia in teenage girls, testing the statistical power of TEI and student burnout to discriminate between high- and low-alexithymic subjects. A sample of 884 female high school students (mean age 16.2 years, age range 14–19) attending three Italian academic-track high schools (social sciences and humanities curriculum) completed self-report measures of alexithymia, school burnout, and TEI. Main descriptive statistics and correlational analysis preceded the discriminant analysis. The mean alexithymia scores suggest a high prevalence of alexithymia in female adolescents; as expected, this trait was negatively correlated with TEI and positively associated with school burnout. Participants with high vs. low alexithymia profiles were discriminated by a combination of TEI and burnout scores. High scores for the emotionality and self-control dimensions of TEI were strongly associated with membership of the low alexithymia group; high scores for the emotional exhaustion dimension of school burnout were indicative of membership of the high alexithymia group. These findings suggest crucial focuses for educational intervention: efforts to reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion and school burnout should especially concentrate on enhancing emotional awareness and self-control skills, both strongly associated with low levels of alexithymia.
Highlights
Adolescence is amply known to be a sensitive period of exposure to risk factors for wellbeing and mental health (Patton et al, 2014; Erskine et al, 2015)
By focusing on alexithymia in adolescence, this study addresses a key gap in the current literature, as well potentially informing targeted intervention programs for fostering knowledge and emotional literacy at a crucial stage of psychological development
The inventory assesses students’ school-related burnout across three different dimensions: exhaustion at school, cynicism about the meaning of school, and sense of inadequacy at school
Summary
Adolescence is amply known to be a sensitive period of exposure to risk factors for wellbeing and mental health (Patton et al, 2014; Erskine et al, 2015). Recent research reports that older adolescents may suffer a decline in mental health outcomes, with girls showing poorer mental health than boys (Inchley et al, 2020) This evidence has highlighted the need to Alexithymic Profiles in Female Adolescents identify potential risk factors that can undermine adolescents’ mental health in the school setting (Eccles and Roeser, 2011; Cavioni et al, 2020). Among these factors, alexithymia has been poorly investigated. The construct is multifaceted and encompasses multiple manifestations, including difficulty in identifying emotions and distinguishing them from bodily sensations, difficulty in describing and verbalizing emotions, poor imagination, an externally oriented thinking (EOT) style, and reduced empathy (Taylor, 1987)
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