The Mediating Role of Internalizing Problems in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Externalizing Problems

The purpose of this study was to test partial and full mediation of internalizing problems in the relationship between Alexithymia and externalizing problems in adolescent girls. Two hundred and ninety seven students were selected from high schools of Tehran by cluster sampling method. The participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby, Parker, & Taylor, 1994) and the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach, 2001).The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling approach. The results indicated that the full model had a good fitness with data. Alexithymia was positively and significantly related to internalizing problems .Internalizing problems were positively and significantly related to externalizing problems. The findings suggested that alexithymia led to externalizing problems only if it caused problems such as anxiety, depression, withdrawal and somatic complaints.