Psychosocial Correlates of Alexithymia in a Rural Adolescent Residential Population

This study used a multimethod approach to evaluate the relationship of alexithymia (measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and 30-item Emotion Awareness Questionnaire), psychosocial development (assessed with the Measure of Psychosocial Development), and risk behavior (as measured by the Youth Comprehensive Risk Assessment) in 67 rural adolescents in residential treatment. Results revealed that both measures of alexithymia demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity, adolescent females were more alexithymic than males, and demonstrated significantly more shame, diminished bodily awareness, and risk to self; whereas males demonstrated significantly more risk to others. Gender-specific treatment implications for female adolescents are included.