Investigating Sex Differences in the Association Between Alexithymia and Adjustment Outcomes Among Detained Youth

Alexithymia is a form of maladaptive emotion processing whereby individuals experience low emotional awareness, or the inability to identify and communicate their emotions. Such impairment is a risk factor for difficulties, including both externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Extant research suggests biological sex may contribute to a heterogeneous pattern of outcomes. However, sex-specific effects of alexithymia on internalizing and externalizing outcomes have yet to be examined in concert with one another. Moreover, the nature of the associations between alexithymia and proactive versus reactive aggression remains unclear, as prior studies have obtained mixed results. Also, there is a dearth of research on how these relations manifest in vulnerable justice-involved youth, who are at increased risk for alexithymia and psychological maladjustment. As such, the current study investigated: (a) the associations between alexithymia and adjustment outcomes among detained youth, and (b) whether the connections between alexithymia and adjustment outcomes vary in strength in a sex-specific manner. Youth (N = 111, 70.0% male, Mage = 15.5 years) residing in a detention facility reported alexithymic traits, as well as symptoms of anxiety and proactive and reactive aggression. Consistent with prior research, we found that overall alexithymia independently contributes to anxiety and reactive aggression, but there was some evidence of subscale differences for reactive and proactive functions of aggression. Contrary to our hypotheses, results indicated that the association between alexithymia and adjustment outcomes does not vary in a sex dimorphic manner. This research contributes to a growing body of literature that recognizes interventions targeting internalizing and externalizing problems should address deficits in emotion processing for both males and females.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Bains, Jeevan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Fite, Paula J.

• Psychology
• Aggression
• Alexithymia
• Anxiety
• Detained Youth
• Sex Differences

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19792

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/38412