Gastrointestinal Symptoms as Predictors of Alexithymia

Abstract

Autistic adolescents often experience gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS), which may arise from interactions within the gut-brain axis. Disruptions may contribute to alexithymia, the difficulty identifying feelings. I am examining GIS and alexithymia using survey data from behavioral sessions. Alexithymia will be measured using the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC), a 17-item child report assessing difficulty identifying feelings, utilizing a 3-point Likert scale. GIS will be assessed using the Gastrointestinal Signs and Symptoms Inventory–17 (GISSI-17), a 17-item parent and child survey screening for constipation, diarrhea, and GERD, where a positive score means one of the three is occurring. I hypothesize higher GIS will be associated with higher alexithymia, considering both child and parent reported GIS. Participants within the sample (N = 92) range from 11-15 years old (M = 12.6, SD = 1.18), consisting of autistic (n = 29, males = 26, females = 3), and non-autistic (n = 63, males = 30, females = 33) adolescents. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was run to test the effect of GIS on alexithymia. Group (autistic vs. non-autistic), age, and sex were included as covariates, as well as a child × parent GIS interaction to examine whether associations differed by informant. The overall model was significant (p < .001, R² = .26), with child and parent GIS as well as sex significantly predicting alexithymia, while age, group, and the child × parent GIS interaction were not significant. These results suggest GIS may be associated with greater alexithymia in adolescents.