Components Of Alexithymia Research Articles

Alexithymia in patients with an eating disorder

To date, eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia) have become widespread among the population. Alexithymia is considered to be one of the main features of patients with an eating disorder. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to identify and register the components of alexithymia in patients with an eating disorder, conceptually reflecting the features of this phenomenon. The research methods included: the Toronto Alexithymic Scale (TAS-20), the Lyusin Emotional Intelligence Test, the Karpov Reflexivity Questionnaire, the Giessen Questionnaire of Somatic Complaints (GBB), the Method «Identification of essential features». The methods of data processing and analysis were carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program, which used the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney U-criterion. As a result, it was revealed that patients with an eating disorder are characterized by a general deficiency of emotional regulation, which reflects the inability to identify, understand and describe emotions. At the same time, patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa demonstrated a reduced ability to reflect, and were also characterized by a predominance of a specific situational style of thinking over an abstract logical one. The revealed features of the phenomenon of alexithymia in patients with an eating disorder can later be used in an integrated approach to the preparation and implementation of psychotherapeutic interventions, thereby increasing the effectiveness of therapeutic measures.

Beyond sleepless nights: Unraveling the complexity of alexithymia and suicide risk among university students.

There is a solid relationship between alexithymia and suicide risk. Nonetheless, the specific impact of alexithymia's distinct subscales on suicide risk has received the attention it deserves. This article presents a comprehensive exploration of suicide risk among university students, focusing on the interconnections among alexithymia, insomnia, and suicidal behavior. Three components of alexithymia including difficulties in describing emotions or feelings (DDF), difficulties in identifying emotions or feelings (DIF), and the externally oriented thinking were considered. The study involved 208 participants from a Persian university sample, examining the significance of incorporating both alexithymia and insomnia in suicide risk assessment and intervention planning. Insomnia was positioned as a pivotal mediator. A secure electronic link in the Telegram application was employed to collect the data. Both linear and nonlinear prediction models were used to explore potential associations among alexithymia, insomnia, and suicide risk. The study revealed substantial positive correlations between alexithymia and suicide risk, as well as between insomnia and suicide risk. Additionally, specific components of alexithymia exhibited noteworthy links to suicide risk. The inclusion of insomnia scores in suicide risk predictions is critical, as it greatly enhances the precision of risk assessments and facilitates the design of targeted and effective therapeutic interventions. The association between alexithymia and suicide risk showed a significant relationship (r=.29, p<.01). Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between alexithymia and insomnia (r=.32, p<.01). Additionally, insomnia exhibited a significant positive correlation with suicide (r=.35, p<.01). Interestingly, DDF and DIF showed positive correlations with suicide (r=.28, p<.01; r=.33, p<.01). The findings carry profound implications for suicide prevention efforts, providing valuable insights to safeguard the well-being and resilience of university students facing suicide risk challenges.

The relationship between alexithymia, rumination and binge drinking among university students

The current study aimed to examine the differential association of alexithymia and rumination facets with binge drinking. Two-hundred and ninety-two university students participated in this cross-sectional study, and we analyzed the data of those who reported alcohol use in the past 30 days (N = 247, Mage = 23.32). Self-report measures were used to assess the levels of alexithymia and rumination. Participants reported binge drinking in the past 30 days. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive association between the Difficulties in Identifying Feelings (DIF) component of alexithymia and binge drinking, but brooding – the maladaptive component of rumination – did not explain binge drinking in this sample. Our results draws the attention of investigating emotional processing and emotion regulation in relation to substance use.

Examining the Effectiveness of Emotional Intelligence Training on Alexithymia Components in Students

Objective: Emotional intelligence is the most crucial factor in decision-making and the selection of future goals, as well as the substitution of goals in various situations and circumstances. The purpose of this article was to determine the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training on alexithymia components in students. Methods and Materials: This study was applied, quantitative, and of a quasi-experimental pre-test - post-test design with a control group and training. The population consisted of 30 students suffering from alexithymia, selected from 5 treatment centers, with 15 students allocated to the control group and 15 to the training group. The data collection tool in this research was the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Goleman's (1996) emotional intelligence training protocol was used for the experimental group. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and multivariate analysis of covariance method. Findings: The F-value in the univariate analysis of covariance for the subscale of identifying emotions (F=13.266, P=0.000), for the subscale of describing emotions (F=19.917, P=0.000), and for the subscale of external-oriented thinking (F=11.108, P=0.000) were significant. These findings indicate that there is a significant difference between the emotional intelligence training group and the control group in the dependent variables (alexithymia components). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the use of emotional intelligence training is beneficial for improving alexithymia in students with learning disabilities.

Effects of use motivations and alexithymia on smartphone addiction: mediating role of insecure attachment.

Concern exists regarding the potential negative consequences of smartphone addiction among adolescents. This study investigated the effect of use motivations and alexithymia on smartphone addiction among adolescents with two insecure attachment styles, namely, anxious and avoidant attachment. These attachment styles were regarded as mediating variables. Self-report measures were used to assess use motivations, alexithymia, insecure attachment and smartphone addiction. Data were collected from 748 junior high school students (382 males and 366 females) in northeastern China. Structural equation modeling was used to test our hypothesis that use motivations and alexithymia are directly associated with smartphone addiction and also through the mediation of attachment insecurities. The structural equation modeling results showed a strong and positive correlation between use motivation and smartphone addiction, with avoidant attachment mediating such a relationship. Meanwhile, the two components of alexithymia, difficulty identifying feelings and externally oriented thinking, positively predicted smartphone addiction, with avoidant attachment serving as a mediator of this effect. In addition, the mediation analysis results demonstrated that attachment anxiety mediated the connection between escape drive, extrinsically focused thought, and smartphone addiction. Findings describe how attachment insecurities, smartphone use motivations, and alexithymia can interact with one another to predict smartphone addiction. Smartphone use motivation types and alexithymia symptoms should be taken into consideration when designing targeted intervention programs for smartphone addiction to address the different attachment needs of adolescents, which would be helpful to reduce their smartphone addiction behaviors.

Alexithymia modulates the attitudes towards odors but not the olfactory abilities or the affective reactions to odors.

Although emotion and olfaction are closely linked, only a few studies have investigated olfactory processing in alexithymia, a condition characterized by altered emotional processing. These results do not allow comprehensive conclusions on whether individuals with alexithymia present lower olfactory abilities or only altered affective reactions and awareness of odors. Three pre-registered experiments were conducted to clarify this relation. We assessed olfactory functions, the affective qualities of odors, the awareness of odors, the attitudes towards them, and the ability to form olfactory images in the mind. Bayesian statistics were used to assess differences between low, medium and high alexithymia groups, and Linear Mixed Models (LMMs) were applied to investigate the modulation of the affective and cognitive components of alexithymia. We observed that individuals with a high level of alexithymia presented the same olfactory abilities, and did not show differences in their rating of odors compared to individuals with low alexithymia levels, while they reported lower levels of social and common odor awareness and a more indifferent attitude towards odors. Olfactory imagery was not affected by alexithymia level, and the affective and cognitive components of alexithymia, when considered separately, modulated olfactory perception differently. Learning more about olfactory perception in individuals with alexithymia leads to a better understanding of how alexithymia impacts the perception of hedonic stimuli coming from different sensory modalities. Our results imply that treatment goals for alexithymia should be the enhancement of the conscious perception of odors, supporting the use of mindfulness-based protocols in the alexithymia treatment.

Psychological and somatic manifestations of dissociation: The role of childhood trauma, attachment, and alexithymia

ObjectivesDissociation refers to disrupted integration of conscious awareness, emotions, memories, body representation, and motor control (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Despite the burden of unexplained somatic symptoms on individuals, and on healthcare providers, research to date has focused on the use of the Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (DES-II) which measures the psychological components of dissociation, with measures of somatic manifestations of dissociation, such as the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20) often being overlooked. The aim of the current study was to examine how attachment, alexithymia and childhood trauma relate to symptoms of psychoform and somatoform dissociation based on self-report measures. Additionally, the study sought to examine the mediating role of self-reported attachment-style and alexithymia in the relationship between childhood trauma and dissociation. MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 220 adults in the general population, aged 18 – 76, was carried out. Participants completed a number of self-report measures online. Hierarchical logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted. ResultsResults indicated that the difficulty identifying feelings component of alexithymia significantly predicted an increased likelihood of scoring above the clinical cut-off for somatoform dissociation. Difficulty identifying feelings also partially mediated the relationship between physical neglect and somatoform dissociation scores. Avoidant attachment style and difficulty identifying feelings significantly predicted an increased likelihood of scoring above the clinical cut-off for psychoform dissociation. Both avoidant attachment style and difficulty identifying feelings partially mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and psychoform dissociation scores. ConclusionThe findings of the current study suggest that it may be of relevance to consider the role of both traumatic experiences and dissociative processes in persistent somatic presentations. Findings also suggest that treatments which support emotional awareness and are informed by attachment theory may relevant for those that self-report debilitating somatic symptoms

Depression in Chinese men with methamphetamine dependence: Prevalence, correlates and relationship with alexithymia

BackgroundThe comorbidity between substance use disorder and major depressive disorder is a typical dual diagnosis in the field of substance addiction. However, the prevalence and correlates of depression in methamphetamine addicts and whether it is associated with drug craving and alexithymia have been rarely reported in the Chinese population. MethodsWe recruited 585 methamphetamine-dependent males from a drug rehabilitation center in China and 203 healthy controls. Demographic and drug use data were collected. Depression was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N·I.). Methamphetamine cravings and alexithymia were assessed using the Desire for Drugs Questionnaire (DDQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). ResultsThe prevalence rate of depression in methamphetamine-dependent men was 16.58 % (97/585). The scores of DDQ desire and intention, DDQ negative reinforcement, total DDQ, difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF), and total TAS score of depressed patients were higher than those of non-depressed patients. However, only DDQ negative reinforcement score, DIF, DDF, and total TAS score remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Additionally, logistic regression analysis found that age, DIF score, and DDQ negative reinforcement score were significant factors contributing to depression in methamphetamine-dependent men. ConclusionOur findings suggest that the prevalence of depression is significantly higher in methamphetamine-dependent men than in the healthy Chinese population. Furthermore, age, components of alexithymia and drug craving are risk factors for depression in methamphetamine addicts.

Exploring the links between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in internet addiction: A network analysis model.

Alexithymia and emotion regulation are closely related to internet addiction. However, no research has examined how the different components of alexithymia are associated with cognitive emotion regulation in the context of multi-strategy use in internet addiction. The current study aimed to investigate the relation between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation in individuals with internet addiction via network analysis. Participants included 560 students with Young’s Internet Addiction Test scores greater than 50 points; they were also asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The results revealed two bridge nodes emerging within the combined alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation network model: “catastrophizing” and “externally oriented thoughts.” These findings indicate a more specific relation between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation and provide empirical evidence for targeted prevention and targeted interventions for internet addiction.

Associations among alexithymia, disordered eating, and depressive symptoms in treatment-seeking adolescent military dependents at risk for adult binge-eating disorder and obesity.

Evidence suggests that difficulties identifying and describing one's feelings, core components of alexithymia, are associated with attitudinal and behavioral symptoms of disordered eating; depressive symptoms also may underlie these associations. Specifically, research indicates that alexithymia is positively related to depressive symptoms, which in turn may promote both disordered-eating attitudes and certain disinhibited-eating behaviors (e.g., emotional eating). Findings also suggest that military-dependent youth with high weight may exhibit elevated depressive symptoms and disordered eating. As such, understanding associations among alexithymia, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating is particularly relevant for this vulnerable population. We examined 149 adolescent military dependents (14.4 ± 1.6y; 55.0% female; 20.0% non-Hispanic Black; BMIz: 1.9 ± 0.4) at high risk for binge-eating disorder and obesity in adulthood. Participants completed questionnaires assessing two components of alexithymia (difficulty identifying feelings [DIF] and difficulty describing feelings [DDF]), depressive symptoms, emotional eating, and trait anxiety; disordered-eating attitudes were assessed via semi-structured interview. A series of regression-based models examined indirect relationships of DIF and DDF with disordered-eating attitudes and emotional eating through depressive symptoms. Bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals revealed a significant indirect path from each of the alexithymia components to disordered-eating attitudes via depressive symptoms; indirect paths to emotional eating were non-significant. Results support the salience of depressive symptoms in the relationship between alexithymia and disordered-eating attitudes. Future research should utilize prospective designs and explore direct and indirect associations of alexithymia with other disordered-eating behaviors. Level III, evidence obtained from a well-designed cohort study.

Clarifying the relationship between alexithymia and subjective interoception.

The long-standing hypothesis that emotions rely on bodily states is back in the spotlight. This has led some researchers to suggest that alexithymia, a personality construct characterized by altered emotional awareness, reflects a general deficit in interoception. However, tests of this hypothesis have relied on heterogeneous assessment methods, leading to inconsistent results. To shed some light on this issue, we administered a battery of self-report questionnaires of interoception and alexithymia to three samples from Italy, the U.S., and Singapore (N = 814). Correlation and machine learning analyses showed that alexithymia was associated with deficits in both subjective interoceptive accuracy and attention. Alexithymics’ interoceptive deficits were primarily related to difficulty identifying and describing feelings. Interoception showed a weaker association with externally-oriented thinking as operationalized by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and no association with the affective dimension of alexithymia later introduced by the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ). We discuss our results with reference to the theoretical and psychometric differences between these two measures of alexithymia and their shortcomings. Overall, our results support the view that interoceptive deficits are a core component of alexithymia, although the latter cannot be reduced to the former.

A cross-modal component of alexithymia and its relationship with performance in a social cognition task battery

BackgroundThe personality trait alexithymia describes an altered emotional awareness that is associated with a range of social impairments and constitutes a transdiagnostic risk factor for various psychopathologies. Despite the characteristic interoceptive deficits in alexithymia, it is predominantly assessed via self-reports. This can result in unreliable measurements and arguably contributes to the prevailing uncertainty regarding its components, including constricted imaginal processes and emotional reactivity. MethodsThe current study employed an interview and two validated questionnaires to derive a shared component of multi-modally assessed alexithymia in a German non-clinical sample (n = 78) via prinicipal component analysis. This component was used as a predictor for performance in four behavioural social cognition tasks. The relative importance of this predictor against related variables was assessed via dominance analysis. ResultsThe identified component reflected cognitive alexithymia. Higher cognitive alexithymia scores were associated with less affective distress in an ostracizing task. Dominance analysis revealed the dominance of competing autism traits relative to cognitive alexithymia and competing predictors empathy, depression, and anxiety, in predicting affective distress. LimitationsEmotional reactivity was only assessed via self-report and no implicit measures of alexithymia were employed. Due to the low reliability of the self-report measure, no measure of emotional reactivity could be included in the principal component analysis. ConclusionsOur results provide compelling evidence that cognitive interoceptive deficits are at the core of alexithymia across assessment modalities. Behavioural data suggest that these deficits result in diminished emotional sensitivity to high-pressure social situations, which may cause a lack of behavioural adaptation.

Evaluating the Components of Alexithymia in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the differences in alexithymia components between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and normal individuals. Methods: In this ex-post facto study, 23 obsessive-compulsive outpatients’ selected by available sampling method and 22 personnel of the same hospitals (Taft Comprehensive Psychiatric Hospital, Imam Ali, Shahid Rahnemoon, and Baghayipoor Clinics) were selected as a control group in 2015 in Yazd, Iran. Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 were used in this study. Results: Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results showed that patients with OCD were significantly different from the control group in the total alexithymia score (F=7.232, P=0.01). However, both groups had significant differences only in the subscale of difficulty in identifying feelings. Conclusion: It can be concluded that both groups had significant differences in the total alexithymia score and one of its subscales.

Alexithymia Mediates the Relationship Between Insecure Attachment and Eating Disorder Symptoms

Insecure attachment and alexithymia have traditionally been associated with eating disorders. However, research has recently started to examine the specific mechanisms by which attachment insecurity affect disordered eating. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the hypothesis that alexithymia mediates the relationships between insecure attachment patterns and eating disorders (EDs) and to test the relative contribution of each component of alexithymia. 323 female university students and 38 anorexic patients completed questionnaires on attachment, alexithymia and ED symptoms within a structural equation modeling approach. Insecure attachment was related to alexithymia, specifically difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) and difficulty describing feelings (DDF) subscales of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Furthermore, alexithymia scores were associated with eating disorder symptoms. However, only DIF mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and ED symptoms. Despite the limitations of the cross-section design, attachment and alexithymia seem to be an important focus when preventing and treating EDs.

Facial emotion recognition in autistic adult females correlates with alexithymia, not autism.

Research on predominantly male autistic samples has indicated that impairments in facial emotion recognition typically associated with autism spectrum conditions are instead due to co-occurring alexithymia. However, whether this could be demonstrated using more realistic facial emotion recognition stimuli and applied to autistic females was unclear. In all, 83 females diagnosed with autism spectrum condition completed online self-report measures of autism spectrum condition severity and alexithymia, and afacial emotion recognition deficit that assessed their ability to identify multimodal displays of complex emotions. Higher levels of alexithymia, but not autism spectrum condition severity, were associated with less accurate facial emotion recognition. Difficulty identifying one’s own feelings and externally oriented thinking were the components of alexithymia that were specifically related to facial emotion recognition accuracy. However, alexithymia (and autism spectrum condition severity) was not associated with speed of emotion processing. The findings are primarily discussed with the theoretical view that perceiving and experiencing emotions share the same neural networks, thus being able to recognise one’s own emotions may facilitate the ability to recognise others’. This study is in line with previous similar research on autistic males and suggests impairments in facial emotion recognition in autistic females should be attributed to co-occurring alexithymia.Lay abstractResearch with autistic males has indicated that difficulties in recognising facial expressions of emotion, commonly associated with autism spectrum conditions, may instead be due to co-occurring alexithymia (a condition involving lack of emotional awareness, difficulty describing feelings and difficulty distinguishing feelings from physical bodily sensations) and not to do with autism. We wanted to explore if this would be true for autistic females, as well as to use more realistic stimuli for emotional expression. In all, 83 females diagnosed with autism spectrum condition completed self-report measures of autism spectrum condition traits and alexithymia and completed a visual test that assessed their ability to identify multimodal displays of complex emotions. Higher levels of alexithymia, but not autism spectrum condition features, were associated with less accuracy in identifying emotions. Difficulty identifying one’s own feelings and externally oriented thinking were the components of alexithymia that were specifically related to facial emotion recognition accuracy. However, alexithymia (and levels of autism spectrum condition traits) was not associated with speed of emotion processing. We discuss the findings in terms of possible underlying mechanisms and the implications for our understanding of emotion processing and recognition in autism.

Alexithymia and binge eating in obese outpatients who are starting a weight‐loss program: A structural equation analysis

To investigate whether obese patients with binge eating (BE) have higher alexithymic features; to explore the different relationships between psychological features (alexithymia, depression, and anxiety) and BE. Three hundred sixty one obese BE-patients were evaluated for alexithymia, psychological distress, and BE. Alexithymia was measured with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20); BE was assessed with the BE Scale (BES), and depression and anxiety symptoms were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Patients with BE reported significantly higher TAS-20 total scores than those without BE (p < .001). The SEM analysis showed that the difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF) and difficulty in describing feelings (DDF) components of alexithymia affected BE along different pathways. DIF was found as a major factor influencing altered eating both directly (p = .20*) and above all through the mediation of psychological distress (p = .19***), whereas DDF affected BE only through psychological distress at a lesser extent (p = .09**). Alexithymic difficulties in affective awareness may play an important role in the onset and maintenance of BE, especially when patients experienced anxiety and depression symptoms. Clinicians involved in the management of obesity should address the combination of alexithymic traits and emotional distress by planning effective client-focused interventions.

IL-18 Serum Levels and Variants of the Serotonin Transporter Gene Are Related to Awareness of Emotions in Healthy Subjects: A Preliminary Study

Objective: Interaction between the nervous and immune systems may influence emotions, ultimately affecting human health. Cytokines may play a role in developing emotional dysregulation as in alexithymia, a personality construct characterized by the subclinical inability to identify and describe emotions, often associated with several psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders. The proinflammatory cytokine IL-18, with a recognized role in brain functions, may influence serotonin metabolism and appears to be associated with alexithymia. Healthy individuals carrying the long allele (L) of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), and thus having lower concentrations of serotonin in the synaptic cleft, show a greater tendency toward alexithymia, with some gender differences. To explore a potential physiological interaction between IL-18, serotonin neurotransmission, and alexithymia, we investigated whether IL-18 serum levels and 5-HTTLPR are linked to alexithymic traits in healthy subjects. Methods: We measured IL-18 serum levels in 115 Italian-Caucasian healthy subjects genotyped for 5-HTTLPR allele variants, divided by gender and assessed for alexithymia scores using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Results: IL-18 levels are significantly more elevated in individuals with the LL genotype (n = 25) than in carriers of the short allele (n = 90, p = 0.0073). Specifically, in LL males (n = 11), i.e., the group with the most relevant increase in IL-18, cytokine values positively correlated with difficulty identifying feelings, which is a component of alexithymia (r = 0.634, p = 0.036). Conclusions: These results indicate a possible novel interaction between IL-18 and the serotoninergic system to mediate emotional unawareness, suggesting putative biological predictors of emotional dysregulation, which in turn can act as a risk factor for a variety of medical conditions in susceptible subjects.

Emotional overactivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Negativity is often observed in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). No study has examined their emotional expressiveness as a marker of emotional reactivity. We investigated IBS patients' vulnerability to an emotional load by associating their expressiveness with psychological and neurophysiological assessments. We hypothesized that IBS would be characterized by a lack of expressiveness coupled with high scores in psychological and neurophysiological parameters. We assessed the emotional facial expressions (EMFACS), psychological (anxiety, depression, alexithymia), and neurophysiological (cortisol, heart rate variability (HRV)) parameters of 25 IBS patients and 26 healthy controls (HC) while they watched fear-eliciting movie extracts. Overall, the task elicited an increase in state anxiety and consistent HRV responses. However, IBS patients differed from HC as they displayed more sadness and tended to display more rage. Contrary to HC, IBS patients showed an increase in heart rate and a decrease in parasympathetic regulation, reflecting an enhanced responsiveness corroborated by higher scores in depression and state anxiety. Consistent with their higher difficulty in identifying feelings, a component of alexithymia positively correlated with their expressions of rage, they were not aware of their increase in anxiety during the task, whereas HC were. No linear relationship between patients' expressions and their neurophysiological responses was found. Irritable bowel syndrome patients displayed greater emotional expressiveness with negative prevalence. This reflects an emotional vulnerability potentially related to low regulation skills and underscores the importance of considering the central dysregulation hypothesis in IBS as a promising avenue of research.

The Role of Difficulty in Identifying and Describing Feelings in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior (NSSI): Associations With Perceived Attachment Quality, Stressful Life Events, and Suicidal Ideation.

Objective: Core alexithymic features, such as the difficulty in identifying and describing feelings, are associated with poor attachment styles and emotional trauma, which influence the capacity to regulate affect. Additionally, emotional regulation has been found to be the most commonly identified function associated with non-suicidal self-injury behavior (NSSI) in adolescents as they attempt to modulate strong emotions. However, few studies have examined the link between difficulty in identifying and describing feelings (core components of alexithymia), NSSI behaviors, quality of attachment, life stressors and suicidal ideation in healthy early adolescents. Consequently, this study aims to investigate these constructs and the relationship among them in a large non-clinical sample of adolescents.Methods: Seven hundred and nine middle school students (50.4% males), aged 10–15 years (M = 12.6; SD = 1.06) were involved in this study. In order to investigate the variables considered in the study, the following measures were administered: the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory exploring non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors; the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children examining difficulty in identifying and describing feelings; the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment assessing the quality of parental and peer attachment; the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised outlining stressful/traumatic events and the Children’s Depression Inventory evaluating suicidal ideation.Results: We found significantly positive relationships among difficulty in identifying and describing feelings, NSSI behaviors, stressful events, and suicidal ideation. Data indicated a significant negative association of difficulty in identifying and describing feelings with quality of attachment to parents and peers. Further findings highlighted that difficulty in identifying and describing feelings significantly mediated the effect of quality of attachment (parent and peer) on NSSI and suicidal ideation.Conclusion: The ability to identify and describing feelings is important to managing emotional expression and understanding the feelings of others, both crucial in attaining successful interpersonal relationships. Our data revealed that, while controlling for stressful life events, low levels of attachment may increase adolescents’ difficulty in identifying and describing their own feelings, which in turn may increase the risk of both NSSI and suicidal ideation.

Do Emotional Components of Alexithymia Mediate the Interplay between Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration?

A substantial amount of research has revealed that cyberbully-victims have more emotional and behavioral problems than either cyberbullying victims or perpetrators. However, until now, little research has been conducted into the factors that contribute to the interplay between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cyberbullying victimization, perpetration, and two emotional components of alexithymia, namely difficulties in identifying and describing one’s own feelings. Self-report questions were administered to 1549 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old (M = 14.51; SD = 1.68; 42.1% (n = 652) male) from Germany and Thailand. Results showed that cyberbullying victimization and alexithymia are associated with cyberbullying perpetration. Moreover, alexithymia mediated the associations between cyberbullying victimization and adolescents’ cyberbullying perpetration. Consequently, we suggest that the ability to describe and identify one’s own feelings might be important for understanding the link between cyberbullying, victimization, and perpetration. The results may help develop prevention and intervention programs focused on reducing cyberbullying.