title: Emotional dispositions and substance use: mediating effect of alexithymia.
abstract: Substance consumption behaviors can range from use to abuse, the latter including addictive behaviors. Relationships between emotionality, alexithymia and substance-consumption behaviors among young adults were investigated through an explanatory model wherein alexithymia fulfills a mediating function by acting as an emotion-adjustment process. 256 students (62.1% women) with a mean age of 20.7 yr. (SD = 1.6), enrolled at two universities in southern France took part in the study. They filled out a substance-use questionnaire, the Emotionnalité positive et négative a 31 (EPN-31) emotionality scale, and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Mediation analyses validated the hypothesis that emotional dimensions of alexithymia act as mediators between emotionality (negative emotionality and emotional arousal) and substance use. As a mediating factor, alexithymia may be regarded as a type of operational process that regulates emotions. These results could have important implications for clinical and therapeutic applications focusing on emotion-regulation strategies and substance use.
authors: Laboratoire de Psychanalyse et de Psychopathologie Clinique, U.F.R. Psychologie, Université de Provence, France. agnes.bonnet@univ-provence.fr
authors: Agnès
authors: A
authors: Bonnet
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Bréjard
authors: Jean-Louis
authors: JL
authors: Pedinielli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult