Abstract

TEIXEIRA, Ricardo João; PINTO, Rute  and  PEREIRA, Anabela. Interpersonal regulation of emotions in alexitimia and the importance of the disposal mindfulness. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2018, vol.19, n.1, pp.34-41. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/18psd190106.

Alexithymia is characterized by a difficulty in identifying and describing emotions and a deficit in the cognitive modulation of emotions. The present study investigates the relationship between alexithymia, emotional regulation (intra- and interpersonal), and dispositional mindfulness in a sample of patients with depression and / or anxiety undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy. This is a cross-sectional study with 241 patients enrolled in a mental health clinic. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Emotional Regulation of Others and Self (EROS) scale, and the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS) were used. It was found that patients with higher alexithymic tendencies reported worsening of affect (intrinsic), as well as a decreased ability to improve affect (intrinsic and extrinsic), and lower mindful awareness. In terms of gender, women showed a greater ability to improve affect in an extrinsic way, and men significantly greater difficulties in describing their emotions. The clinical evaluation of patients with mental health problems should consider their difficulties in naming and discussing affective states, and this should not be isolated from an evaluation of their interpersonal affective problems. Dispositional mindfulness, and therapies based on mindfulness, may be recommended for this type of patients.

Keywords : alexithymia; mindfulness; emotion regulation.

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