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Alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms: the mediating role of emotion regulation.

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Title: Alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms: the mediating role of emotion regulation.
Authors: Muir, Xanthe, Preece, David A., Becerra, Rodrigo
Source: Australian Psychologist. Apr2024, Vol. 59 Issue 2, p121-131. 11p.
Subjects: Emotion regulation, Self-evaluation, Alexithymia, Questionnaires, Undergraduates, Eating disorders, Psychometrics, Factor analysis
Abstract: Preliminary research has found evidence to suggest alexithymia acts as a risk factor for the development of psychopathology symptoms, due to its impairing role on emotion regulation ability. Eating disorder symptoms have been extensively linked to high levels of alexithymia and emotion regulation difficulties, yet little is known about the precise mechanisms behind these interactions. The current study investigates whether emotion regulation difficulties drive the association between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms. An online questionnaire battery consisting of psychometric self-report measures was administered to 255 undergraduate students. Measures included the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ), Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). A parallel mediation analysis was conducted, finding that the relationship between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms was partially mediated by difficulties regulating positive emotions. These findings support contemporary theory, which recognises alexithymia as an important risk factor for psychopathology symptoms due to its impairing effect on emotion regulation ability. These results highlight the importance of considering the relationship between alexithymia and emotion regulation when conceptualising cases and planning eating disorder treatment and prevention measures. What is already known about the topic: The attention-appraisal model posits that alexithymia is associated with emotion-based psychopathology symptoms due to alexithymia's impairing effect on emotion regulation ability. Alexithymia is extensively linked with eating disorders. Emotion regulation difficulties are a transdiagnostic feature among eating disorders. What this topic adds: Difficulty regulating positive emotions appears to drive, at least in part, the relationship between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms. Our results highlight the importance of considering both alexithymia and emotion regulation when understanding eating disorder symptoms. Alexithymia may interfere with eating disorder treatment due to its detrimental effect on ability to regulate positive emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Australian Psychologist is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms: the mediating role of emotion regulation.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Muir%2C+Xanthe%22">Muir, Xanthe</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Preece%2C+David+A%2E%22">Preece, David A.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Becerra%2C+Rodrigo%22">Becerra, Rodrigo</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Australian+Psychologist%22">Australian Psychologist</searchLink>. Apr2024, Vol. 59 Issue 2, p121-131. 11p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotion+regulation%22">Emotion regulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-evaluation%22">Self-evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alexithymia%22">Alexithymia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaires%22">Questionnaires</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduates%22">Undergraduates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eating+disorders%22">Eating disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychometrics%22">Psychometrics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factor+analysis%22">Factor analysis</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Preliminary research has found evidence to suggest alexithymia acts as a risk factor for the development of psychopathology symptoms, due to its impairing role on emotion regulation ability. Eating disorder symptoms have been extensively linked to high levels of alexithymia and emotion regulation difficulties, yet little is known about the precise mechanisms behind these interactions. The current study investigates whether emotion regulation difficulties drive the association between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms. An online questionnaire battery consisting of psychometric self-report measures was administered to 255 undergraduate students. Measures included the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ), Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). A parallel mediation analysis was conducted, finding that the relationship between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms was partially mediated by difficulties regulating positive emotions. These findings support contemporary theory, which recognises alexithymia as an important risk factor for psychopathology symptoms due to its impairing effect on emotion regulation ability. These results highlight the importance of considering the relationship between alexithymia and emotion regulation when conceptualising cases and planning eating disorder treatment and prevention measures. What is already known about the topic: The attention-appraisal model posits that alexithymia is associated with emotion-based psychopathology symptoms due to alexithymia's impairing effect on emotion regulation ability. Alexithymia is extensively linked with eating disorders. Emotion regulation difficulties are a transdiagnostic feature among eating disorders. What this topic adds: Difficulty regulating positive emotions appears to drive, at least in part, the relationship between alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms. Our results highlight the importance of considering both alexithymia and emotion regulation when understanding eating disorder symptoms. Alexithymia may interfere with eating disorder treatment due to its detrimental effect on ability to regulate positive emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Australian Psychologist is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=176294284
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00050067.2023.2236280
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Emotion regulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Alexithymia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questionnaires
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduates
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      – SubjectFull: Eating disorders
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      – SubjectFull: Psychometrics
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      – SubjectFull: Factor analysis
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Alexithymia and eating disorder symptoms: the mediating role of emotion regulation.
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            NameFull: Muir, Xanthe
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2024
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
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