Emotional Dispositions and Substance Use: Mediating Effect of Alexithymia. Issue 1 (February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bonnet, Agnès; Bréjard, Vincent; Pedinielli, Jean-Louis
• Is Part Of: Psychological reports. Volume 112:Issue 1(2013)
• Page Start: 289
• Page End: 302
• Publication Date: 2013-02
• Subjects: Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychologie -- Périodiques; Psychology; 150.5
• DOI: 10.2466/18.09.20.PR0.112.1.289-302
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-2941

Abstract

Substance consumption behaviors can range from use to abuse, the latter including addictive behaviors. Relationships between emotionality, alexithymia and substance-consumption behaviors among young adults were investigated through an explanatory model wherein alexithymia fulfills a mediating function by acting as an emotion-adjustment process. 256 students (62.1% women) with a mean age of 20.7 yr. ( SD = 1.6), enrolled at two universities in southern France took part in the study. They filled out a substance-use questionnaire, the Émotionnalité positive et négative à 31 (EPN–31) emotionality scale, and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia scale (TAS–20). Mediation analyses validated the hypothesis that emotional dimensions of alexithymia act as mediators between emotionality (negative emotionality and emotional arousal) and substance use. As a mediating factor, alexithymia may be regarded as a type of operational process that regulates emotions. These results could have important implications for clinical and therapeutic applications focusing on emotion-regulation strategies and substance use.