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Preece DA, Mehta A, Petrova K, Sikka P, Pemberton E, Gross JJ. Alexithymia profiles and depression, anxiety, and stress. J Affect Disord 2024; 357:116-125. [PMID: 38387670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.02.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is a multidimensional trait comprised of difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking. It is regarded as an important risk factor for emotional disorders, but there are presently limited data on each specific facet of alexithymia, or the extent to which deficits in processing negative emotions, positive emotions, or both, are important. In this study, we address these gaps by using the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) to comprehensively examine the relationships between alexithymia and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. METHODS University students (N = 1250) completed the PAQ and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Pearson correlations, hierarchical regressions, and latent profile analysis were conducted. RESULTS All facets of alexithymia, across both valence domains, were significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (r = 0.27-0.40). Regression analyses indicated that the alexithymia facets, together, could account for a significant 14.6 %-16.4 % of the variance in depression, anxiety, and stress. Difficulties identifying negative feelings and difficulties identifying positive feelings were the strongest unique predictors across all symptom categories. Our latent profile analysis extracted eight profiles, comprising different combinations of alexithymia facets and psychopathology symptoms, collectively highlighting the transdiagnostic relevance of alexithymia facets. LIMITATIONS Our study involved a student sample, and further work in clinical samples will be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that all facets of alexithymia, across both valence domains, are relevant for understanding depression, anxiety, and stress. These findings demonstrate the value of facet-level and valence-specific alexithymia assessments, informing more comprehensive understanding and more targeted treatments of emotional disorder symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Preece
- Curtin University, Curtin enAble Institute & School of Population Health, Australia; Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America; The University of Western Australia, School of Psychological Science, Australia.
| | - Ashish Mehta
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Kate Petrova
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Pilleriin Sikka
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Finland; University of Turku, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Finland; University of Skövde, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, Sweden
| | - Ethan Pemberton
- Edith Cowan University, Psychology Department, Perth, Australia
| | - James J Gross
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States of America
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Zahid A, Taylor GJ, Lau SCL, Stone S, Bagby RM. Examining the Incremental Validity of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) Relative to the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). J Pers Assess 2024; 106:242-253. [PMID: 37144843 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2023.2201831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) is the most widely used instrument for assessing alexithymia, with more than 25 years of research supporting its reliability and validity. The items that compose this scale were written to operationalize the components of the construct that are based on clinical observations of patients and thought to reflect deficits in the cognitive processing of emotions. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) is a recently introduced measure and is based on a theoretical attention-appraisal model of alexithymia. An important step with any newly developed measure is to evaluate whether it demonstrates incremental validity over existing measures. In this study using a community sample (N = 759), a series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted that included an array of measures assessing constructs closely associated with alexithymia. Overall, the TAS-20 showed strong associations with these various constructs to which the PAQ was unable to add any meaningful increase in prediction relative to the TAS-20. We conclude that until future studies with clinical samples using several different criterion variables demonstrate incremental validity of the PAQ, the TAS-20 should remain the self-report measure of choice for clinicians and researchers assessing alexithymia, albeit as part of a multi-method approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqsa Zahid
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto
| | | | | | | | - R Michael Bagby
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
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Preece DA, Mehta A, Petrova K, Sikka P, Bjureberg J, Chen W, Becerra R, Allan A, Robinson K, Gross JJ. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire-Short Form (PAQ-S): A 6-item measure of alexithymia. J Affect Disord 2023; 325:493-501. [PMID: 36642314 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is a trait characterized by difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking. It is widely regarded as an important transdiagnostic risk factor for a range of psychopathologies, including depressive and anxiety disorders. Whilst several well-validated psychometric measures of alexithymia exist, these are relatively lengthy, thus limiting their utility in time-pressured settings. In this paper, we address this gap by introducing and validating a brief 6-item version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire, called the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire-Short Form (PAQ-S). METHOD Across two studies with adult samples (Study 1 N = 508 United States community; Study 2 = 378 Australian college students), we examined the psychometric properties of the PAQ-S in terms of its factor structure, reliability, and concurrent/criterion validity. RESULTS In exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, all PAQ-S items loaded well on a single general alexithymia factor. The PAQ-S total score had high reliability, and correlated as expected with the long-form of the PAQ, as well as other established markers of alexithymia, emotion regulation, and affective disorder symptoms. LIMITATIONS Our samples were general community or college student samples from two Western countries; future validation work in clinical samples and more diverse cultural groups is thus needed. CONCLUSIONS The PAQ-S retains the psychometric strengths of the PAQ. As such, the PAQ-S can be used as a quick, robust measure of overall alexithymia levels. The introduction of the PAQ-S hence enables valid assessments of alexithymia in a more diverse range of settings and research designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Preece
- Curtin University, Curtin enAble Institute, Perth, Australia; Curtin University, School of Population Health, Perth, Australia; University of Western Australia, School of Psychological Science, Perth, Australia.
| | - Ashish Mehta
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States
| | - Kate Petrova
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States
| | - Pilleriin Sikka
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Finland; University of Turku, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Finland; University of Skövde, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, Sweden
| | - Johan Bjureberg
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Sweden; Stockholm County Council, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wai Chen
- Curtin University, Curtin enAble Institute, Perth, Australia; Curtin University, Curtin Medical School, Perth, Australia; University of Western Australia, Graduate School of Education, Perth, Australia; University of Notre Dame Australia, School of Medicine, Perth, Australia; Murdoch University, Perth, Australia; Fiona Stanley Hospital, Mental Health Service, Perth, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Becerra
- University of Western Australia, School of Psychological Science, Perth, Australia
| | - Alfred Allan
- Edith Cowan University, School of Arts and Humanities, Perth, Australia
| | - Ken Robinson
- Edith Cowan University, School of Arts and Humanities, Perth, Australia
| | - James J Gross
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States
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Preece DA, Mehta A, Petrova K, Sikka P, Bjureberg J, Becerra R, Gross JJ. Alexithymia and emotion regulation. J Affect Disord 2023; 324:232-238. [PMID: 36566943 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is a key transdiagnostic risk factor for emotion-based psychopathologies. Conceptual models specify that this is because alexithymia impairs emotion regulation. However, the extent of these putative emotion regulation impairments remains underexplored. Our aim in this study was to begin to address this gap by examining whether people with high, average, or low levels of alexithymia differ in the types of emotion regulation strategies they typically use. METHOD General community adults from the United States (N = 501) completed a battery of alexithymia and emotion regulation measures. Participants were grouped into high, average, and low alexithymia quantiles. RESULTS After controlling for demographics and current levels of distress, the high, average, and low alexithymia groups differed in their use of cognitive and behavioral emotion regulation strategies. Compared to the other groups, the high alexithymia group reported lesser use of generally adaptive regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, approaching problems, and seeking social support) and greater use of generally maladaptive regulation strategies (expressive suppression, behavioral withdrawal, ignoring). LIMITATIONS Our data were cross-sectional and from self-report questionnaires. Future work in other cultural groups would be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the view that alexithymia is associated with impaired emotion regulation. In particular, people with high alexithymia seem to exhibit a less adaptive profile of emotion regulation strategies. Direct targeting of these emotion regulation patterns in psychotherapy may therefore be a useful pathway for the treatment of emotional disorder symptoms in people with high alexithymia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Preece
- Curtin University, School of Population Health, Perth, Australia; Curtin University, Curtin enAble Institute, Perth, Australia; University of Western Australia, School of Psychological Science, Perth, Australia.
| | - Ashish Mehta
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States
| | - Kate Petrova
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States
| | - Pilleriin Sikka
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Finland; University of Turku, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Finland; University of Skövde, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, Sweden
| | - Johan Bjureberg
- Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Sweden
| | - Rodrigo Becerra
- University of Western Australia, School of Psychological Science, Perth, Australia
| | - James J Gross
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, United States
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Ferguson CJ, Preece DA, Schweitzer RD. Alexithymia in autism spectrum disorder. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/00050067.2023.2174409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cassie J. Ferguson
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David A. Preece
- Curtin enAble Institute and School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Robert D. Schweitzer
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Chan J, Becerra R, Weinborn M, Preece D. Assessing Alexithymia across Asian and Western Cultures: Psychometric Properties of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 in Singaporean and Australian Samples. J Pers Assess 2022; 105:396-412. [PMID: 35900047 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2022.2095641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying feelings (DIF), describing feelings (DDF), and externally orientated thinking (EOT). Originally conceptualized by American psychiatrists, some researchers have since questioned the validity and application of this construct in Asian cultures. However, to date, there is little empirical work formally assessing the invariance of alexithymia across Asian and Western cultures. The present study aimed to help address this gap, by examining the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of two alexithymia measures, the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), across samples from Singapore (n = 434) or Australia (n = 489). The same theoretically congruent factor structure was supported across both samples; this structure was fully invariant across samples for the PAQ, and partially invariant for the TAS-20. Both measures had good internal consistency and concurrent validity across samples, except the TAS-20 EOT subscale which had low internal consistency and factor loadings in both samples. The Singaporean sample reported higher DIF and DDF for positive emotions than the Australian sample. Overall, our results support the cross-cultural validity and application of the alexithymia construct. The PAQ and TAS-20 both appear to have good utility in this respect, though the PAQ may provide a more detailed facet-level profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Chan
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | | | - David Preece
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.,School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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Tang WC, Lin MP, Wu JYW, Lee YT, You J. Mediating role of depression in the association between alexithymia and nonsuicidal self-injury in a representative sample of adolescents in Taiwan. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2022; 16:43. [PMID: 35705987 PMCID: PMC9202208 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-022-00477-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nock's (2009) integrated theoretical model suggests that specific intrapersonal vulnerability factors caused by distal risk factors contribute to the development of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Alexithymia and depression have been found to predict NSSI. Based on Nock's model, alexithymia plays a distal risk factor role to increase the risk of depression-an intrapersonal vulnerability factor-and further increase the risk of NSSI. However, small or unrepresentative samples in past studies limit the generalizability of the results. This study examined the roles of depression and alexithymia in predicting NSSI, as well as the mediating effect of depression in the relation between alexithymia and NSSI in a large representative sample of adolescents in Taiwan. METHODS Using a cross-sectional study design, a large representative sample of 2,170 senior high school students in Taiwan was assessed by self-report measures of alexithymia, depression, and NSSI. Mediation analyses were performed to examine whether the relation between alexithymia and NSSI was mediated by depression. The questionnaires were administered in classrooms. RESULTS Results showed that alexithymia positively predicted NSSI (β = 0.23, p < .001) and depression can also positively predict NSSI (β = 0.41, p < .001). Additionally, the association between alexithymia and NSSI was fully mediated by depression. CONCLUSIONS This study data provided evidence for the mediating role of depression between alexithymia and NSSI, which can be explained by Nock's (2009) integrated theoretical model. The implications of the findings for future research and intervention were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ching Tang
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, No.162, Sec. 1, Heping E. Rd., Da-an District, 106, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Min-Pei Lin
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, No.162, Sec. 1, Heping E. Rd., Da-an District, 106, Taipei City, Taiwan.
| | - Jo Yung-Wei Wu
- Good-Day Psychology Clinic, 5F., No. 167, Xialin Rd., South District, 702, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Ting Lee
- Department of Counseling and Guidance, National University of Tainan, No.33, Sec. 2, Shu- Lin St, 700, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jianing You
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), & School of Psychology, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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8
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Larionow P, Preece DA, Mudło-Głagolska K. Assessing alexithymia across negative and positive emotions: Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1047191. [PMID: 36532198 PMCID: PMC9748568 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1047191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) is a 24-item self-report measure of alexithymia. Originally developed in English, it was designed to try to enable more comprehensive (i.e., facet-level and valence-specific) alexithymia assessments. This study aimed to introduce and validate a Polish version of the PAQ. Our sample were 1,008 people (69.44% females, 30.06% males and 0.50% non-binary) aged 18-78 (M = 29.69, SD = 14.15) from the general community. The PAQ's factor structure was verified with confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent and divergent validity were assessed via relationships with other measures of alexithymia and mental health symptoms. Our results indicated strong factorial validity, conforming to the intended subscale structure. As expected, all PAQ subscales correlated in expected directions with another established alexithymia measure, and markers of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The PAQ showed good discriminant validity in terms of measuring an alexithymia construct that was separable from people's current level of distress. Test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities were also good. Overall, the Polish PAQ therefore appears to have strong psychometric properties. Our findings add to a growing body of literature supporting the validity of the PAQ, and the multidimensional nature of the alexithymia construct, across different nations and languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Larionow
- Faculty of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - David A Preece
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Brain and Behaviour Division, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
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9
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McVey AJ, Schiltz HK, Coffman M, Antezana L, Magnus B. A Preliminary Psychometric Analysis of the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) Among Autistic Adolescents and Adults: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1169-1188. [PMID: 33886035 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05018-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Emotion dysregulation is common among autistic people, yet few measures have received psychometric evaluation in this population. We examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of a commonly-used measure of emotion dysregulation, the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), in a sample of 156 autistic adolescents and adults. Data were drawn from the NIH National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) and an author's existing dataset. Results demonstrated that the factor structure generally conformed to the original 6-factor model, with modifications. Reliability analyses revealed good-to-excellent internal consistencies. Validity analyses indicated that the DERS was positively associated with measures of anxiety, depression, and alexithymia. Our findings provide preliminary evidence for the utility of the DERS in a small autistic sample, with minor modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana J McVey
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | | | - Marika Coffman
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ligia Antezana
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Brooke Magnus
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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10
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Greene D, Boyes M, Hasking P. Comparing the roles of behaviour-specific beliefs in the associations between alexithymia and both non-suicidal self-injury and risky drinking: A multi-method assessment of expectancies. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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11
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Slabbert A, Hasking P, Greene D, Boyes M. Measurement invariance of the distress tolerance scale among university students with and without a history of non-suicidal self-injury. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10915. [PMID: 33777518 PMCID: PMC7971082 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the intentional damage to one's body tissue in the absence of suicidal intent. NSSI primarily serves an emotion regulation function, with individuals engaging in self-injury to escape intense or unwanted emotion. Low distress tolerance has been identified as a mechanism that underlies self-injury, and is commonly assessed using the self-report Distress Tolerance Scale. There are mixed findings regarding the factor structure of the Distress Tolerance Scale, with some researchers utilising a higher-order distress tolerance score (derived from the scores on the four lower-order subscales) and other researchers using the four subscales as unique predictors of psychological outcomes. Neither of these factor structures have been assessed among individuals with a history of self-injury. Of note, an inability to tolerate distress (thought to underlie NSSI) may limit an individual's capacity to accurately observe and report specific thoughts and emotions experienced in a state of heightened distress, which may impact the validity of scores on the Distress Tolerance Scale. Therefore, measurement invariance should be established before attributing NSSI-related differences on the scale to true differences in distress tolerance. We compared the Distress Tolerance Scale higher-order model with the lower-order four factor model among university students with and without a history of NSSI. Our results indicated that the lower-order four factor model was a significantly better fit to the data than the higher-order model. We then tested the measurement invariance of this lower-order factor model among individuals with and without a history of NSSI, and established configural and full metric invariance, followed by partial scalar and full residual error invariance. These results suggest the four subscales of the Distress Tolerance Scale can be used to confidently discern NSSI-related differences in distress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Slabbert
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Penelope Hasking
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Danyelle Greene
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mark Boyes
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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12
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Preece DA, Parry CL, Allan MM, Allan A. Assessing alexithymia in forensic settings: Psychometric properties of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale among incarcerated adult offenders. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH : CBMH 2021; 31:31-43. [PMID: 33200532 DOI: 10.1002/cbm.2176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is a trait involving difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF) and externally orientated thinking (EOT). It is a risk factor for criminal behaviour. It is commonly assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), but the psychometrics of the TAS-20 have not been tested across the range of offender populations, and it has been suggested it might be unsuitable in incarcerated offenders. AIM To establish the psychometrics of the TAS-20 among incarcerated offenders. METHODS Factorial validity was examined using confirmatory factor analyses, and the invariance of this factor structure was tested against a published community sample. Reliability coefficients were calculated. RESULTS One hundred and forty six incarcerated offenders were recruited. The factor structure of the TAS-20 was invariant across the samples. The intended factor structure composed of DIF, DDF and EOT factors performed well overall (with a reverse-scored method factor added), but six EOT items had low factor loadings. The total scale score and DIF and DDF subscales had acceptable reliability, but EOT did not. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the TAS-20 functions similarly in offender and community samples. Its total scale score, and DIF and DDF subscale scores can be used confidently, but the assessment of externally oriented thinking may not be adequate with this scale alone. In sum, the TAS-20 can facilitate robust assessment of alexithymia in closed criminal justice settings as well as in the wider community.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Preece
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Cate L Parry
- School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
| | - Maria M Allan
- School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
| | - Alfred Allan
- School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
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13
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Becerra R, Baeza CG, Fernandez AM, Preece DA. Assessing Alexithymia: Psychometric Properties of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire in a Spanish-Speaking Sample. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:710398. [PMID: 34712154 PMCID: PMC8545878 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.710398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a trait composed of difficulties identifying feelings (DIF), difficulties describing feelings (DDF), and externally orientated thinking (EOT). It is an important transdiagnostic risk factor for psychosomatic disorders and other types of emotion-based psychopathologies, and can reduce the efficacy of some treatment approaches. Alexithymia assessments are therefore important in psychiatric and research settings. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) was recently developed to enable more comprehensive alexithymia assessments, however, its psychometric properties need further examination and it is so far only available in English. In this study, we sought to address this by translating the PAQ into Spanish and testing its psychometric properties in an adult sample from Chile (N = 370). Confirmatory factor analyses found the PAQ to have a theoretically congruent factor structure, supporting the contemporary status of alexithymia as a multifaceted construct and the PAQ's capacity to assess the DIF, DDF, and EOT facets of alexithymia across negative and positive emotions. All subscale and composite scores had high internal consistency reliability, and demonstrated good concurrent and discriminant validity. The PAQ therefore appears to provide a robust and detailed alexithymia profile. This Spanish version should help to enable more comprehensive cross-cultural research into alexithymia and its role in and psychological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Becerra
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | | | - David A Preece
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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