Emotion Regulation in Families: Exploring the Link between Parent-Child Alexithymia and Child Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic comprises a mass trauma for children and families, and children may face particular vulnerability to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) through processes of parent and child emotional dysregulation, such as alexithymia. With 88 U.S. children (Mage = 9.94 years; 54.5% female; 59.1% White) and their parents/caregivers (68.2% female; 59.1% White), a path model was tested in which child alexithymia symptoms partially mediated the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). We also tested an alternative model in which child alexithymia symptoms moderated the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child PTSS. The hypothesized mediation model was supported (β = 0.15, SE = 0.05, 95% CI: [0.07, 0.25], p < 0.001), whereas the hypothesized moderator model was not (β = 0.06, p = 0.44). Findings highlight the importance of parents’ emotional understanding and regulation for child mental health during mass traumas such as pandemics.