Parent and child alexithymia scores showed weak correlations
A review found weak links between young people's and parents' overall alexithymia scores. Separate component findings differed for mothers and fathers.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review found weak correlations between young people's overall alexithymia scores and those of both mothers and fathers. Mothers also showed correlations across separate components, while fathers' component results were not statistically significant. These findings describe score similarities within families; they do not establish that parents caused their children's difficulties or explain how the similarities arose.
The abstract omits participant totals and assessment timing. The correlations cannot establish whether genetic, environmental or other influences account for similarities between parents and children.
What researchers found
Parent–child score similarity
Mother–child r = 0.24 (p = 0.01); father–child r = 0.16 (p = 0.01). These are correlations between total scores; assessment timing was not reported.
What the overall score covers
Alexithymia includes difficulty recognizing feelings, difficulty putting feelings into words, and thinking focused on external matters. An overall score combines these components, which the review also examined separately.
How component results differed
Mother–child correlations were significant for each component. Fathers' component correlations were not significant, despite their overall score association. These nonsignificant results leave uncertainty rather than proving an absence of similarity.
The original publication
A systematic review of alexithymia in young people and their parents.
Davies RN, Griffin K
J Affect Disord · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40652974
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.