Alexithymia, psychopathology and alcohol misuse in adolescence: a population based study on 3556 teenagers
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Objectives: To analyze the association between alexithymia and alcohol intake during adolescence, also in relation to psychopathology, in order to identify psychological risk factors for alcohol misuse. Method: 3556 students [mean age (range) 14.5 years (11-18)] were recruited in the Padua area. Each was administered a set of three questionnaires: the Toronto Alexithymia Scale for children (TAS-20) to measure alexithymia, the Questionnaire Adolescent Saturday evening (QAS) to estimate of alcohol intake, and the Youth Self-Report (YSR 11-18) to value psychopathology. Results: Externalizing problems appeared to increase with age and with the amount of alcohol consumed, unlike internalizing problems. The prevalence of alexithymia was 18%, decreasing with age, and it was not associated with alcohol consumption, and used except in younger subjects (≤13), for whom a positive correlation was observed between alexithymia, internalizing problems and alcohol intake. Conclusions: Younger adolescents are more psycho-emotionally vulnerable (internalizing problems and alexithymia) and at a greater risk of alcohol misuse.
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Adolescence is associated with elevated rates of alexithymia, particularly at the earlier stages of this period.
“adolescence is associated with elevated rates of alexithymia (e.g. Gatta et al., 2014; Säkkinen et al., 2007, although see Honkalampi et al., 2009; Joukamaa et al., 2007), particularly at the earlier stages of this period (Gatta et al., 2014; Karukivi et al., 2014; Säkkinen et al., 2007).”
From Atypical interoception as a common risk factor for psychopathology: A review (2021) · cites this paper as Gatta et al., 2014
The Results (§3.3) report 18% alexithymia prevalence in the adolescent sample and a decrease with age, supporting the claim about earlier adolescence. The Discussion (§4.3) notes that this prevalence exceeded findings from studies of older adolescents. But the Introduction says previously reported adolescent prevalence was similar to adult prevalence, so the paper does not establish elevated rates in adolescence relative to adulthood. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Gatta, M., Facca, I., Colombo, E., Svanellini, L., Montagnese, S., & Schiff, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Padua (IT)
- Azienda Ospedale - Università Padova (IT)
- Venue
- Neuroscience and Medicine
- Publisher
- Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
- Published
- 2014
- Volume
- 05
- Issue
- 01
- Pages
- 60-71
- ISSN
- 2158-2912 (ISSN-L)
- 2158-2947
- OpenAlex
- W2056056588
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5
- FWCI
- 1.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- alexithymia, adolescent alcohol misuse, alcohol consumption, psychopathology, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, psychological risk factors, age differences, Youth Self-Report
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