Exploring the links between alexithymia, empathy and schizotypy in college students using network analysis

Introduction: Impaired empathy is one of the major dysfunctions commonly found in patients with schizophrenia, with alexithymia being one possible underlying factor. Schizotypy represents a set of psychotic-like manifestations, investigation of which may contribute to our understanding of psychosis...

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Published in:Cognitive neuropsychiatry 2020-07, Vol.25 (4), p.245-253
Main Authors: Yang, Han-xue, Shi, Hai-song, Ni, Ke, Wang, Yi, Cheung, Eric F. C., Chan, Raymond C. K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Affective Symptoms - diagnosis
Affective Symptoms - epidemiology
Affective Symptoms - psychology
Alexithymia
anhedonia
Anhedonia - physiology
College students
Empathy
Empathy - physiology
Female
Humans
Male
network analysis
Personality disorders
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychosis
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - diagnosis
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - epidemiology
Schizotypal Personality Disorder - psychology
schizotypy
Students - psychology
Universities - trends
Young Adult
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Summary:Introduction: Impaired empathy is one of the major dysfunctions commonly found in patients with schizophrenia, with alexithymia being one possible underlying factor. Schizotypy represents a set of psychotic-like manifestations, investigation of which may contribute to our understanding of psychosis while minimising the confounding effects of illness chronicity and medication exposure. Few studies have specifically examined the associations among alexithymia, empathy and schizotypy. Methods: We investigated the relationships among alexithymia, empathy and schizotypy in college students using network analysis. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and Chapman Psychosis-Proneness scales were captured, and network based on the subscales were estimated in 552 participants. Strength, closeness and betweenness of nodes were calculated to measure the centrality. Results: Network analyses revealed a pattern connecting alexithymia with empathy and schizotypy. Negative connections between empathy and physical/social anhedonia and positive edges linking alexithymia with empathy and social anhedonia were observed. Conclusions: Network constructed in the study demonstrated alexithymia's role in empathic deficits. Our findings highlighted the connections between components of empathy, alexithymia and schizotypy.
ISSN:1354-6805
1464-0619
DOI:10.1080/13546805.2020.1749039