The comparison of alexithymia and self-consciousness in male and female adolescents

Alexithymia, defined as a deficiency in consciousness or expression of emotions. The relationship between alexithymia subscales and self-consciousness components has rarely been investigated. So, the present study was designed and implemented to determine the status of self-consciousness and alexithymia as well as their relationship among Iranian adolescents. The present cross-sectional study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical approach on 480 14-19-year-old adolescent Followed by random sampling. They were asked to complete the demographic form, self-consciousness, and 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Statistical analyses were conducted using the K-2 Pearson, U-Mann-Whitney, Spearman correlation coefficient, and simple multiple linear regression tests. About one-third of the participants were suffering from alexithymia but no significant difference was observed between the two genders. Higher scores were achieved by girls in the subscale of difficulty in identifying feelings (20.07 ± 6.26 girls, 18.26 ± 4.97 boys, P = 0.001). However, boys (21.67 ± 3.60) received significantly higher scores in externally oriented thinking than girls (23.19 ± 3.21) (P ≤ 0.001). The mean of public and private subscale and the total score of self-consciousness skill (56.22 ± 9.32 for girls, 51.82 ± 10.00 for boys and significance level ≤ 0.001) were higher in girls than boys. However, the area of social anxiety (14.60 ± 6.50 for girls, 14.60 ± 5.72 for boys) had no statistically significant difference between the two sexes. Considering the observed gender differences in the areas of alexithymia and self-consciousness, it is necessary to carry out necessary screenings based on gender-based programs.