Background

Youth involved with the juvenile justice system are at an increased risk for developing internalizing symptoms. In accordance with ecological systems theory and Self‐Determination Theory, parental psychological control and emotion-related constructs, such as alexithymia (or difficulty processing emotions), are linked to internalizing symptoms.

Objective

The present study aimed to provide preliminary evidence of these associations in a sample of youth in juvenile detention centers, by examining the unique variance accounted for by alexithymia total score and the dimensions of alexithymia (i.e., difficulties identifying feelings; difficulties communicating feelings) on anxiety and depression symptoms over and above the variance accounted for by psychological control.

Method

The sample included 111 youth (M_age = 15.5, SD = 1.38) in a juvenile detention facility in the Midwest. Multivariate linear regression models tested incremental validity to determine if the unique variance in the internalizing symptoms can be attributed to the addition of alexithymia constructs.

Results

Results showed that psychological control continued to be associated with depression symptoms, even after alexithymia total score and dimensions of alexithymia were added to the model. However, the link between psychological control and anxiety symptoms was attenuated when alexithymia constructs were added to the models. Alexithymia total score and difficulties identifying feels were significantly associated with internalizing symptoms and the addition of these constructs accounted for unique variance in the outcomes. Difficulties communicating feelings was not associated with internalizing symptoms.

Conclusions

Findings provide evidence that alexithymia and dimensions of alexithymia are associated with internalizing symptoms even when controlling for variance attributed to psychological control.

中文翻译：

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检查述情障碍维度的增量有效性和父母心理控制对青少年司法系统内化症状的影响

背景

参与少年司法系统的青年出现内化症状的风险增加。根据生态系统理论和自决理论，父母的心理控制和情绪相关的结构，如述情障碍（或难以处理情绪），与内化症状有关。

客观的

本研究旨在通过检查述情障碍总分所解释的独特方差和述情障碍的维度（即，难以识别感情；难以传达感情）对焦虑的影响，在少年拘留中心的青年样本中提供这些关联的初步证据。和抑郁症状超出了心理控制所解释的方差。

方法

样本包括 中西部青少年拘留设施中的111 名青少年（M_年龄 = 15.5，SD = 1.38）。多元线性回归模型测试了增量有效性，以确定内化症状的独特差异是否可归因于述情障碍结构的添加。

结果

结果表明，心理控制继续与抑郁症状相关，即使在将述情障碍总分和述情障碍维度加入模型后也是如此。然而，当将述情障碍结构添加到模型中时，心理控制和焦虑症状之间的联系减弱了。述情障碍总分和识别感觉的困难与内化症状显着相关，并且这些结构的添加解释了结果的独特差异。交流感觉的困难与内化症状无关。

结论

研究结果提供的证据表明，即使在控制归因于心理控制的差异时，述情障碍和述情障碍的维度也与内化症状相关。