Literature Review

Saleem et al. (2015) conducted a research to investigate the relationship among

alexithymia, loneliness and interpersonal problems in young adults. It was hypothesized that

alexithymia referring to difficulties in identifying and verbally describing feelings would predict

loneliness and interpersonal problems. A sample of 240 students (120 males and 120 females)

within the age range of 18 to 25 years (M=21.38, SD=1.88) was taken from different government

and private universities of Lahore city. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), University of

California-Los Angeles Loneliness Scale – Version 3 (UCLA) and Inventory of Interpersonal

Problems-Short Circumplex (IIP-SC) were used to assess alexithymia, loneliness and

interpersonal problems respectively. The results indicated that there was a significant positive

correlation among alexithymia, loneliness and interpersonal problems and alexithymia predicted

loneliness and interpersonal problems.

Saleem, A., Ashraf, S., Yousaf, I., & Dogar, I. H. (2015). Alexithymia, loneliness and interpersonal

problems in young adults. Pakistan Postgraduate Medical Institute, 26(2), 55–62.

https://doi.org/10.51642/ppmj.v26i2.158

Panayiotou et al. (2015) carried out a study that attempted to assess the extent to which

alexithymia represents a learned, avoidant coping strategy against unwanted emotions in a

community sample (students from two universities in Cyprus) and a clinical sample (intensive

outpatients/residents in an American anxiety disorder treatment program). They hypothesized

that experiential avoidance mediates the association between alexithymia, psychosomatic, and
 depressive symptoms. In this way the study aimed to identify a potential mechanism that may

elucidate the relationship between alexithymia and psychological symptoms. Experiential

avoidance was found to correlate strongly with alexithymia, especially its difficulty in

identifying feelings factor, while the mediation hypothesis was supported in all models tested.

Furthermore, results from the clinical sample suggest that clinical improvement in depression

was associated with a decrease in alexithymia, especially difficulty in identifying feelings,

mediated by decreased experiential avoidance.

Panayiotou, G., Leonidou, C., Constantinou, E., Hart, J., Rinehart, K. L., Sy, J. T., & Björgvinsson, T.

(2015). Do alexithymic individuals avoid their feelings? Experiential avoidance mediates the

association between alexithymia, psychosomatic, and depressive symptoms in a community and

a clinical sample. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 56, 206–216.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.09.006

Nezhad et al. (2017) conducted a correlational study to examine the relationship of

alexithymia with depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue among people under addiction treatment

referred to Addiction Treatment Centers in the west of Mazandaran, Iran. The study sample size

included a cluster of 304 males (20–50-year-old) who were randomly chosen among people

referred to these centers at the first half of 2015. Depression, Anxiety, Stress scale 21, Toronto

Alexithymia Scale 20, and Fatigue Inventory of Chalder were used. The obtained data were

analyzed using regression test through SPSS version 22 software. The findings indicated that

there is a significant relationship between alexithymia, depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue

among people under addiction treatment and this correlation is as follows: depression (53%),

anxiety (54%), stress (46%), and fatigue (52%).

Nezhad, S. R., Rad, M. M., Farrokhi, N., Viesy, F., & Ghahari, S. (2017). The relationship of

alexithymia with depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue among people under addiction

treatment. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 10(6), 1698.

https://doi.org/10.4103/atmph.atmph_589_17

Ethical Considerations

1. External and internal examiner from Centre for Clinical Psychology from University of the

Punjab will approve the current study.

2. Written informed consent will be obtained (prior to the study) from the participants who

participated in this study. Freedom to withdraw from the study at any time will be ensured.

3. Research participants will be subjected to no harm physically and psychologically and

respect for the dignity of research participants will be prioritized

4. Permission will be granted by authority as well as institutes conduct the research.

5. Adequate level of confidentiality of the research data will be ensured by careful keeping of

the data from the participants.

6. Privacy and Anonymity of individuals and organizations participating in the research will be

ensured

7. Any deception or exaggeration about the aims and objectives of the research will be avoided.

8. If any trauma might be relived due to study, the participants would be able to contact the

Center for Clinical Psychology and they would be provided with free therapy and

psychological help.