Abstract
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 (Mage = 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.
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The writing of this manuscript was supported in part by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE-1540502. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Consent was provided at the rate of 100% by the facility’s director, who served as youth’s legal guardian during detainment. Eighty-four percent of youth assented for their answers to be used for research.
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Stone, K.J., Poquiz, J.L., Singh, M. et al. Examining Incremental Validity of Dimensions of Alexithymia and Parental Psychological Control on Internalizing Symptoms of Youth Involved with the Juvenile Justice System. Child Youth Care Forum 51, 219–235 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09626-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09626-0