Childhood maltreatment and alexithymia: A network analysis

Childhood maltreatment is a known risk factor for alexithymia, which is defined as difficulties processing one's own emotions. However, links between specific maltreatment subtypes and alexithymia facets remain underexplored. This study aimed to clarify these associations.

This study included 2447 Chinese adolescents (58.8 % girls; aged 16 to 22). Network analysis was used to identify central components and key links between maltreatment subtypes and alexithymia facets. Network comparison tests assessed gender differences in network connectivity.

Emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and the difficulty identifying feelings facet of alexithymia emerged as central nodes in the network. The strongest edges were between emotional abuse and difficulty identifying feelings (r = 0.16), and emotional neglect and externally oriented thinking (r = 0.13). Gender differences emerged in specific pathways: physical neglect was more strongly associated with difficulty identifying feelings in girls than in boys, and physical abuse was linked to difficulty describing feelings only in girls.

This study illuminates central mechanisms linking distinct childhood maltreatment subtypes to specific alexithymia facets, and highlights gender-specific patterns. These insights may inform targeted interventions for emotional difficulties rooted in early adversity.