Ritika Negi and Seema Vinayak
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Pages: 28-36
Individuals with alexithymia endure difficulties perceiving and interpreting their emotions
and others’ emotional experiences resulting in unhealthy relationships, which may
also lead to mental health issues. The present study explored the relationship among
alexithymia, emotion regulation strategies, and affect, with a focus on understanding
predictive factors for alexithymia. The information was acquired from 100 college students
aged 20-30 years. Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were administered. Descriptive analysis and
inferential analysis involving correlation and regression analysis were used. Results
showed a significant correlation between alexithymia and expressive suppression, also
with negative affect. Emotion regulation techniques contributed to significant variance
in alexithymia levels. People with higher alexithymia used more maladaptive strategies
to regulate emotions and experience more negative emotions. Emotion regulation and
affect predict alexithymia in males. Psychotherapeutic interventions focusing on adaptive
ways to regulate emotions and mitigating negative feelings may effectively support
individuals with alexithymia.