Posttraumatic stress symptoms, dissociation, and alexithymia in an Italian sample of flood victims

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated a significant association between dissociation and posttraumatic symptoms. A dissociative reaction during a traumatic event may seem to predict the later development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Moreover, several researchers also observed an alexithymic condition in a variety of traumatized samples. METHODS: A total of 287 flood victims (men =159, 55.4%; women =128, 44.6%) with an age range of 17-21 years (mean =18.33; standard deviation =0.68) completed the following: Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Dissociative Experiences Scale II, Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire. RESULTS: We found significant correlations among all variables. Linear regression showed that peritraumatic dissociation plays a mediator role between alexithymia, dissociation, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our results seem to confirm the significant roles of both dissociation and alexithymia for the development of posttraumatic symptoms.