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Journal of Affective Disorders Oct 2023While sleep problems are common in adolescents with depression, the exact prevalence has not been reported. Although previous studies have shown that childhood trauma,...
BACKGROUND
While sleep problems are common in adolescents with depression, the exact prevalence has not been reported. Although previous studies have shown that childhood trauma, alexithymia, rumination, and self-esteem are related to sleep problems, the interactions between these factors remain unclear.
METHODS
This study, conducted from March 1, 2021 to January 20, 2022, employed a cross-sectional design. The participants were 2192 adolescents with depression with a mean age of 15 years. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Ruminative Response Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used to measure sleep problems, childhood trauma, alexithymia, rumination, and self-esteem, respectively. We used PROCESS 3.3 for SPSS to determine the chain mediating effect of alexithymia and rumination and the moderating effect of self-esteem in the relationship between childhood trauma and sleep problems.
RESULTS
Up to 70.71 % of adolescents with depression had sleep problems. Furthermore, alexithymia and rumination played a chain mediation role in the relationship between childhood trauma and sleep problems. Finally, self-esteem moderated the relationships between alexithymia and sleep problems and rumination and sleep problems.
LIMITATIONS
Owing to the study design, we cannot derive causal relationships between variables. Further, the self-reported data may have been influenced by subjective participant factors.
CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals potential ways of how childhood trauma influences sleep problems in adolescents with depression. These findings suggest that interventions targeting alexithymia, rumination, and self-esteem in adolescents with depression may be effective in reducing their sleep problems.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Depression; Affective Symptoms; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Sleep Wake Disorders
PubMed: 37269886
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.095 -
BMC Psychology Feb 2024This article is a review that was inspired by recent studies investigating the effects of childhood trauma or early life stress (ELS) and mindfulness in adulthood. One... (Review)
Review
This article is a review that was inspired by recent studies investigating the effects of childhood trauma or early life stress (ELS) and mindfulness in adulthood. One recent study found that some forms of abuse and neglect led to higher scores in several subscales of a self-report measure of mindfulness. The authors concluded that some forms of ELS can help cultivate certain aspects of mindfulness in adulthood. However, and in contrast to this recent finding, much of the extant literature investigating ELS and trauma are linked to emotional dysregulation, alexithymia, and a host of psychopathologies in adulthood which makes the results of this study surprising. Central to the mindfulness literature is cultivating an open, non-reactive, or non-judgment awareness of inner experiences which are important for emotional regulation. In this paper, I review some of the effects of trauma or ELS on critical neural circuits linked to mindfulness, interoception, attachment, and alexithymia which I hope may clarify some of the conflicting findings from this study and throughout the literature and provide additional context and a framework that may inform research investigating these two constructs going forward.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Mindfulness; Affective Symptoms; Child Abuse; Emotional Regulation
PubMed: 38355582
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01563-6 -
Brain Sciences Aug 2023Prior studies show differences in empathy and affect-recognition ability between those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals....
Prior studies show differences in empathy and affect-recognition ability between those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals. Autistic individuals also exhibit increased behavioral, gastrointestinal, and sleep issues. In the current study, we explored the differences in empathy and affect recognition between the ASD and TD groups; and we investigated their associations with conditions co-occurring in ASD. A total of 54 TD and 56 ASD children (8-17 years) were included. As compared to the TD group, the ASD group showed lower scores for affect recognition and perspective taking (PT) and higher scores for personal distress (PD). Interestingly, results from hierarchical linear regressions suggested that disparities in the PD and PT between the groups were primarily attributable to attenuated levels of alexithymia, rather than being mediated by the presence of an autism diagnosis. Differences in affect-recognition ability, however, were mediated by both an autism diagnosis and alexithymia. We also found significant correlations between empathy and affect recognition and measures of related conditions common in ASD. Alexithymia, hence, contributes to difficulties in empathy while both alexithymia and autism are associated with affect-recognition ability in ASD. Additionally, the association between affect recognition and empathic ability with co-occurring conditions in ASD needs to be considered during assessments and interventions.
PubMed: 37626517
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081161 -
Personality and Individual Differences Nov 2023Alexithymia is a clinically relevant personality trait characterized by poor emotional awareness and associated with several psychological and physical health concerns....
Alexithymia is a clinically relevant personality trait characterized by poor emotional awareness and associated with several psychological and physical health concerns. Individuals with high alexithymia tend to engage in experiential avoidance and this may mediate psychological distress. However, little is known about what specific processes of experiential avoidance are involved, and the nature of the relation between alexithymia, experiential avoidance, and psychological distress remains unclear at a latent construct level. To examine this relationship at the latent construct level, a representative sample of 693 U.S. adults completed alexithymia (TAS-20, BVAQ, PAQ), general distress (DASS-21), multi-dimensional experiential avoidance (MEAQ), and general health (PROMIS-G-10) questionnaires. Structural equation modeling revealed that alexithymia significantly predicted experiential avoidance (β = 0.966, = 82.383, < .01), experiential avoidance significantly predicted general distress (β = 0.810, = 2.017, < .05), and experiential avoidance fully mediated the relationship between alexithymia and general distress (β = -0.159, = -0.398, > .05). Correlations between alexithymia and experiential avoidance subfactors revealed a strong relationship to the repression and denial subfactor. Experiential avoidance is a promising target for clinical interventions, though longitudinal research is necessary to elucidate how the relationship between alexithymia and experiential avoidance unfolds over time.
PubMed: 37637074
DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112308 -
Psychoneuroendocrinology May 2024There are individual effects of alexithymia, childhood maltreatment, impulsivity, and some biological markers on aggression and psychological distress in schizophrenia....
The contribution of alexithymia, childhood maltreatment, impulsivity, C-reactive protein, lipid profile, and thyroid hormones to aggression and psychological distress (depression and anxiety) in schizophrenia.
There are individual effects of alexithymia, childhood maltreatment, impulsivity, and some biological markers on aggression and psychological distress in schizophrenia. However, the combined effects of these psychological and biological markers have not yet been fully studied. This study therefore aimed to investigate the influence of these psychological and biological markers on aggression and psychological distress (e.g., depression and anxiety) in inpatients with schizophrenia (n = 355). Participants completed self-report and clinician-rated scales, and blood samples were collected. There were no significant differences between patients with and without alexithymia regarding biological markers. Patients with childhood maltreatment exhibited higher levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as lower total cholesterol (TC) levels, compared to non-traumatized individuals. Aggression was positively predicted by psychological distress, alexithymia, childhood maltreatment, impulsivity, CRP, and FT3, and negatively by TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Negative symptoms, childhood maltreatment, alexithymia, aggression, and CRP positively, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol negatively emerged as predictors of psychological distress. The study highlights the connections between childhood maltreatment, alexithymia, impulsivity, and potentially related biological dysregulation in explaining aggression and negative mood states as a bio-psychological model of aggression and mood in schizophrenia.
PubMed: 38820716
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107087 -
Journal of the American Academy of... May 2024Emotional lability (EL) is a common symptom dimension in youth. It manifests in the context of a number of psychiatric illnesses and is a promising transdiagnostic... (Review)
Review
Emotional lability (EL) is a common symptom dimension in youth. It manifests in the context of a number of psychiatric illnesses and is a promising transdiagnostic construct that is recognizable and treatable and warrants further study. Multiple terms and assessment tools exist to define and measure EL, and it has a phenomenology distinct from the related construct of irritability. This clinical perspective reviews the neurobiological and clinical evidence in support of EL as an important symptom dimension that responds to a variety of behavioral and medication interventions and highlights the significant limitations of this approach.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Affective Symptoms; Child; Emotions
PubMed: 37499861
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.07.004 -
Future Science OA Dec 2023Our objectives were to compare the frequency of alexithymia and the alteration of quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to determine the factors...
AIM
Our objectives were to compare the frequency of alexithymia and the alteration of quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to determine the factors associated with alexithymia and quality of life deterioration.
METHOD
This is a comparative study which collected 80 IBS patients and 80 controls.
RESULTS
Quality of life was impaired in 75% of patients vs 37.5% (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of alexithymia was 50% in patients vs 1.2% (p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, an impaired quality of life was associated with alexithymia (p = 0.003). The factors associated with impaired quality of life were anxiety and alexithymia.
CONCLUSION
Alexithymia was present in half of patients with IBS and its was associated with impaired quality of life.
PubMed: 37753356
DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2023-0068 -
BMC Psychology Aug 2023Emotional divorce occurs when a couple continues to live together due to necessity and coercion but they do not have a positive or constructive relationship, which...
BACKGROUND
Emotional divorce occurs when a couple continues to live together due to necessity and coercion but they do not have a positive or constructive relationship, which negatively affects the stability of married life. Due to the low social acceptance of a formal divorce in the Saudi society, emotional divorce is common in several families. The rigidity of feelings and emotions within the family and the inability to express them may indicate the presence of alexithymia, which could result in the collapse of the family system and place the people involved at risk of mental health problems such as depression. Therefore, it is important to determine the prevalence of emotional divorce among married women in Saudi Arabia and to examine the relationship between emotional divorce and alexithymia.
METHODS
Data were collected from 305 married women in Saudi Arabia (M = 33.24 years; SD = 4.87 years), using the Emotional Divorce Scale and the Alexithymia Scale.
RESULTS
Results revealed that 78.36% of the participants experienced moderate to severe levels of emotional divorce. Working women, those who had been married for more than ten years, and those with five or more children exhibited a higher incidence of emotional divorce as compared to their counterparts. A linear regression analysis indicated that alexithymia was significantly associated with emotional divorce in this sample.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest the need for examining the negative consequences of emotional divorce on the family and society. Additionally, it is important to educate young individuals of marriageable age about the nature of married life, and ways to deal with problems that occur. Finally, couples should be encouraged to express their positive and negative emotions with their spouse to build the marital relationship, and achieve compatibility and marital satisfaction.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Adult; Child, Preschool; Divorce; Marriage; Saudi Arabia; Affective Symptoms; Emotions
PubMed: 37533120
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01236-w -
Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular... Jul 2024Previous studies have indicated the potential occurrence of alexithymia among stroke patients, yet the prevalence of alexithymia in this population remains disparate... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have indicated the potential occurrence of alexithymia among stroke patients, yet the prevalence of alexithymia in this population remains disparate across different investigations without a synthesized overview.
AIM
To systematically evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of alexithymia in stroke patients.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, and Weipu Database (VIP) were searched from inception to December 31,2022, two independent researchers extracted data and evaluated article quality.
RESULTS
Seventeen studies were included, reporting on the prevalence of alexithymia or Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) scores among stroke patients. The pooled prevalence was found to be 35.0% (95%CI= 23.0-47.0%; I =97.5%), and the total scores (TS) of TAS-20 was 59.90 (95% CI=56.34-63.47; I =100.0%). Subgroup analysis revealed significant variation in TAS-20 scores across different geographical regions. Specifically, the total TAS-20 score in Chinese stroke patients (62.95, 95%CI=58.75-67.14; I=100%) was higher compared to non-Chinese stroke patients (52.58, 95%CI=49.12-56.04; I = 99.0%).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of alexithymia is high among stroke patients, with TAS-20 scores surpassing those observed in patients with certain other medical conditions. This underscores the importance of addressing alexithymia in stroke patients promptly through assessment and intervention to mitigate negative emotional consequences and enhance overall quality of life. Future research could explore the influence of demographic factors such as age and sex on alexithymia in stroke patients, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of alexithymia.
Topics: Humans; Affective Symptoms; Prevalence; Stroke; Female; Male; Risk Factors; Middle Aged; Aged; Adult; Aged, 80 and over
PubMed: 38599473
DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2024.107712 -
Comprehensive Psychiatry Aug 2024More than half the domestic population in China were infected with COVID-19 in two months after ending "zero-infection policy", which severely overwhelmed frontline...
BACKGROUND
More than half the domestic population in China were infected with COVID-19 in two months after ending "zero-infection policy", which severely overwhelmed frontline healthcare providers with stress and fear. However, there is no study to date investigating the associations between nurses' fear of pandemic and cyberchondria. This study aimed to 1) investigate the correlations between fear pandemic and cyberchondria among frontline nurses, and 2) discover its potential mechanism.
METHODS
A cross-sectional sample of frontline nurses (N = 8161) was recruited from 98 hospitals across China in February 2023. Participants were invited to complete an online, self-rated standardized questionnaire focused on pandemic fear, alexithymia, psychological distress, and cyberchondria. Environmental, clinical and socioeconomic information were collected for adjustment while conducting chain mediation analysis.
RESULTS
When other covariates were controlled, it was found that fear of the pandemic significantly contributed to cyberchondria (b = 0.58, 95%CI [0.56, 0.60], p < .001). The chain mediation model suggested that both alexithymia and psychological distress were mediating factors between pandemic fear and cyberchondria.
CONCLUSIONS
The higher the perceived fear, the greater the cyberchondria, which suggests that reducing fear about the pandemic and providing adequate support could reduce the incidence of cyberchondria. As alexithymia and psychological distress may be transdiagnostic mechanisms between fear and cyberchondria, targeted interventions focused on expression dysregulation and emotional identification could be useful.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Female; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Psychological Distress; China; Male; Affective Symptoms; Fear; Surveys and Questionnaires; Middle Aged; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics
PubMed: 38852302
DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152505