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Alexithymia: its prevalence and correlates in a British undergraduate sample
1Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, UK. o.mason@ucl.ac.uk
Psychology and Psychotherapy
|April 14, 2005
Summary
This study found higher rates of alexithymia, a difficulty identifying emotions, in female undergraduates, particularly in science majors. Alexithymia was linked to dissociation and perceptions of less maternal care.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions and an externally oriented thinking style.
- Understanding alexithymia's prevalence and correlates is crucial for mental health research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of alexithymia in a British undergraduate population.
- To examine the relationship between alexithymia, parental bonding, and dissociative experiences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), and Dissociative Experience Scale (DES).
- Administered to 371 undergraduate students (181 males, 190 females) across arts and science disciplines.
Main Results:
- Alexithymia prevalence was comparable to international rates.
- Females exhibited higher alexithymia rates than males, with female science students showing the highest prevalence.
- Alexithymia correlated with dissociation and perceived lack of maternal care; dissociative experiences were predicted by maternal overprotection and difficulty identifying feelings.
Conclusions:
- Early maternal bonding shows some relevance to later emotional processing difficulties.
- Higher alexithymia in females, especially science students, warrants further investigation.
- A clear link exists between difficulty identifying feelings and dissociative experiences like depersonalization/derealization and absorption.