The relationship between alexithymia, childhood trauma and anxiety: Comparison between joint and nuclear family system
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71085/rjhsa.04.04.150Keywords:
Childhood Trauma, Alexithymia, Anxiety, Family System, Young Adults, PakistanAbstract
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between childhood trauma, alexithymia, and anxiety in adults 18-40 years (M=23.43, SD=3.53). A comparison of differences in these variables was also examined with respect to family system (joint and nuclear). A correlational research design along with causal-comparative research design was used. The sample was made up of 301 adult members with various educational and social backgrounds gathered by convenience sampling. The data were collected by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form (CTQ-SF; Bernstein et al., 2003), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby et al., 1994), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006). The results showed both childhood trauma and alexithymia positively correlated with anxiety, and alexithymia had a significant positive correlation with childhood trauma. A preliminary analysis revealed that there were greater mean levels of childhood trauma, and alexithymia amongst people from joint family system compared to nuclear family system. In the amount of anxiety experienced in different family systems, however, no significant difference was found. The results indicated that experiencing adverse childhood events is linked to challenges with experiencing emotions and higher anxiety symptoms in adulthood. Alexithymia appears to be an important factor linked with the psychological consequences of childhood trauma. The study emphasizes a need to consider emotional awareness and childhood adversity in the context of mental health interventions and adds to the scant literature in situational Pakistani context.
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