Mental Health Problems in Alexithymia: Role of Positive and Negative Emotional Experiences

Previous empirical evidences show that though, alexithymia is associated with a variety of somatic and mental health problems, the exact mechanism that makes alexithymic individual prone to mental or somatic illness has not yet been uncovered. Based on earlier observations that alexithymic individuals are characterized by anhedonia and a proneness to negative emotional experiences, the present study examines the mediational role of positive negative emotional experiences in alexithymia health relationship. Hundred fifty adults were assessed on the measures of alexithymia, mental health, and positive/negative affectivity. The correlation analysis revealed alexithymia and its various dimensions correlated significantly positively with mental health problems and negative affect correlated significantly and negatively with positive affect which suggest that alexithymic individuals are prone to mental health problems and negative emotional experiences and lack hedonic capacity. Further, it was also noted that negative emotional experiences and reduced capacity for positive emotions were related with greater number of mental health problems. This pattern of relationship among the measures of alexithymia, mental health and positive-negative affect suggests the possibility that anhedonia and proneness to negative emotions may explain the link between alexithymia and mental illness. To test this possibility a structural relationship model linking alexithymia an mental health directly as well as indirectly through positive and negative affect was tested using AMOS 20. The findings revealed a significant direct effect of alexithymia on mental health as well as indirect effect through positive/negative emotions. The findings suggest that alexithymia is associated with mental health problems and these problems may be partly due to the alixithymics' anhedonic tendency and their propensity to experience negative emotions. The findings have been discussed in the light of the existing literature and a future direction for research has also been proposed.