The mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between early childhood trauma and alexithymia

Early childhood traumas adversely impact both the developmental course and adulthood experiences of individuals. Previous literature showed that alexithymia- difficulties in recognizing, identifying, and expressing feelings increases as experienced childhood adversity increases. In this regard, the development and manifestation of early maladaptive schemas resemble the etiology and indications of alexithymia. Thereby, the current study aims to investigate the mediator role of different early maladaptive schema domains in the relationship between early childhood trauma and alexithymia levels. 435 participants, between the age of 18 and 74, were asked to fill out self-report questionnaires measuring traumatic childhood experiences (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20), and early maladaptive schemas (Young Schema Questionnaire- Short Form 3). Results indicated that participants with more childhood trauma experiences had a significantly higher score of alexithymia than participants with less childhood trauma experiences. Moreover, all early maladaptive schema domains- Disconnection and Rejection, Impaired Autonomy and Performance, Overvigilance and Inhibition, Impaired Limits and Other-Directedness, were found to be mediating the relationship between early childhood trauma and alexithymia levels. The current findings can contribute to the understanding of alexithymia and suggest a direction for schema therapy-based interventions that might reduce alexithymia levels effectively.