Familial factors relating to alexithymic traits in adolescents with psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Objective: Few studies have explored alexithymia at the family level. Nevertheless since family interactions have a crucial role in supporting the adolescents'development, the relationship between the emotional functioning of adolescents with psychiatric disorders and that of their parents is an interesting field to explore. Having established that a close relationship exists between adolescents'alexithymia and psychiatric symptoms, the present study aims to explore the link between alexithymic traits in parents and in their children, and between alexithymia and parental bonding perceived. Method: The sample included 143 participants: adolescents with an ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis (13-18years), referred to a Childhood, Adolescence and Family Unit, and their parents. They were all assessed for alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and parental bonding perceived (Parental Bonding Instrument), while adolescents' psychiatric symptoms were measured using different scales (Youth Self Report and Symptom Checklist-90-R). Results: In conjunction with an alexithymic collusion within the parental couple, parents' emotional impairments predicted analogous problems in offspring. An intergenerational transmission of alexithymia emerges not only from mother to child but also from father to child. Moreover, the adolescents'emotional awareness was affected by the perception of their mothers' and fathers' parenting styles. Parents' alexithymic traits, combined with children's perception of a neglectful parenting style, appear to be linked with emotional difficulties and therefore with a higher risk of psychological disorders in offspring. Conclusions: Studies focused on the intergenerational transmission of alexithymia and on the family emotional functioning will contribute to design more focused and acceptable treatments for adolescents and for families as well

Alexithymia in parents and adolescents with generalised anxiety disorder

“…Furthermore, family context seems to affect alexithymia levels and could be a risk factor for vulnerability to GAD in adolescents. Our data seem to confirm the conclusions of Gatta et al () that highlighted the link between emotional difficulties together with a higher risk of psychological disorders in offspring and parents’ alexithymic traits combined with children's perception of a neglectful parenting style. A wide psychological assessment of the adolescents with GAD and their parents, including alexithymia, could be useful to define a more targeted therapeutic strategy.…”

Triadic Interactions in Families of Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa and Families of Adolescents with Internalizing Disorders

“…In general, concerning the affective quality, a potentially strong continuity between the couple and the triadic relation, including the offspring, has been shown (Kitzmann, 2000). It is not only the influence of each parent separately that would provide a matrix for the daughter’s emotional development but also, and even more significantly, the affective regulation of the parental couple, as expressed in the complex relational dynamics of the triad (Kooiman et al, 2004; Gatta et al, 2016a). Evaluating the couple relationship, starting from the conflicts and distress, can therefore prove to be useful in order to better understand the functioning of the whole family and therefore plan treatments, tailored for the patient as well as for the family needs (Gatta et al, 2009, 2011; Mannarini et al, 2016a).…”

“…While externalizing and beaviural symptoms seem to indicate a more profound and resistant inability to modulate and manage emotions (Manninen et al, 2011) by means of their cognitive processing: in those cases impulsive and compulsive behaviors could be aimed at decreasing the emotional tension. Moreover major difficulties were shown to be linked to maladaptive familial characteristics, such as specific deficits in the emotional regulation within the parental couple and a neglectful parenting style perceived by the offspring (Gatta et al, 2016a). …”

Are family relations connected to the quality of the outcome in adolescent anorexia nervosa? An observational study with the Lausanne Trilogue Play

“…The majority of studies reviewed by Holtom‐Viesel and Allan (), however, displayed some limitations linked to the cross‐sectional design, and primarily to the exclusive use of self‐report measures: this was the case of as many as 82% of the studies, although this kind of measures are known to be affected by social desirability and denial (Balottin et al, ; Gatta et al, ; Mannarini, Balottin, Toldo, & Gatta, ). It is also clear that self‐report questionnaires capture the family components' perceptions and viewpoints, which may largely differ from the observers' ratings of the family interactions (Balottin, Nacinovich, Bomba, & Mannarini, ).…”

“…this was the case of as many as 82% of the studies, although this kind of measures are known to be affected by social desirability and denial Gatta et al, 2017;Mannarini, Balottin, Toldo, & Gatta, 2016). It is also clear that self-report questionnaires capture the family components' perceptions and viewpoints, which may largely differ from the observers' ratings of the family interactions (Balottin, Nacinovich, Bomba, & Mannarini, 2014).…”