An American study observed a link between child abuse and alexithymia, an emotional regulation disorder.
- Alexithymia is a disorder of emotional regulation, which can affect social and intimate relationships.
- Child abuse could promote the onset of alexithymia in adulthood.
- Alexithymia is usually associated with psychological disorders like depression and schizophrenia.
“No words for the feelings”. This is the meaning of alexithymia, an emotional regulation disorder, which is characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing one’s emotions. This phenomenon can impact social and intimate relationships, as a person with alexithymia is likely to miss social cues, and therefore not understand the feelings of others.
Three types of abuse implicated in the development of alexithymia
In a recent study published in the Psychosocial Newslettera team from Stanford University (United States) observed a link between child abuse and the development of alexithymia in adulthood.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists analyzed 78 published sources evoking facts of child abuse and measuring levels of alexithymia in adulthood. Nearly 36,141 participants were included in the US study.
During their work, the researchers found that emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and physical neglect were particularly strong risk factors for alexithymia. Two other types of abuse, sexual abuse and physical abuse, were linked to alexithymia, but they had less predictive value.
Alexithymia: a strong association with psychological disorders
According to the study authors, high levels of alexithymia are associated with psychological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. “It is increasingly clear that alexithymia and child abuse are transdiagnostic risk factors, meaning that their presence increases the risk of developing a wide range of mental disorders. However, what is not still clear is how these two risk factors relate to each other and why they often coexist”explained Professor James Gross, psychologist and director of the Psychophysiology Laboratory at Stanford University.
In their work, the researchers alerted to the need to improve therapeutic interventions for adults affected by alexithymia. Treatment often involves helping them develop their ability to be in touch with their emotions, to understand them and to explain them in an embodied way. “Before you can regulate your emotions, you must first understand and recognize them”however, pointed out Anat Talmon, co-lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.
