The Predictive Role of Traumatic Experiences, Attachment, and Alexithymia on the Somatisation Process
摘要
Analysing influences of childhood traumatic experiences, types of attachment, and alexithymia on somatization has been examined, as well as the extent to which these factors predict somatization. A common population of 176 individuals from Romania responded to self-report questionnaires. The predictor variables of the study are: trauma - emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect up to the age of 18; attachment - avoidance and anxiety; alexithymia - difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, difficulty in expressing feelings, and externally oriented thinking. The criterion variable is somatization. Following multiple hierarchical regression analyses, significant predictive variables were identified as physical neglect, anxious attachment style, and difficulty in expressing and identifying emotions. Additionally, a strong positive relationship between anxious attachment style and alexithymia was observed, which was different from previous analyses conducted up to that point. Further longitudinal studies and gender-specific analyses are needed.