Predicting alexithymia in adolescents based on early trauma and attitudes toward father and mother

Recent studies show that there is a positive correlation between alexithymia and a wide range of diseases including mood disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal inflammation, cancer, respiratory diseases, and chronic pains. The aim of this study is to predict alexithymia on the basis of early trauma and attitudes toward mother and father. In this canonical correlation study in 2012-2013, 300 students (150 girls, 150 boys) were selected via multi stage random sampling in Shiraz high schools. All participants were asked to complete Early Trauma Inventory, Child's Attitude toward Father (CAF) and Mother (CAM) Scales and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Data analysis was done using SPSS software version 18 and canonical correlation. Structural coefficients showed that the pattern of high scores in difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings correlate with the pattern of high scores in early trauma, attitudes toward father and attitudes toward mother (P<0.001).. Therefore, our findings show that the combination of low difficulty identifying feelings and low difficulty describing feelings can probably decrease the likelihood of early trauma and attitudes toward father and mother. In general, the findings show that early trauma and attitudes toward father and mother can predict difficulty identifying feelings and describing feelings and explain a considerable variance of survival index.