Alexithymia in Persons With Neurodegenerative Disease Is Associated With Worse Relationship Quality for Their Care Partners via Shared Negative Affect

Difficulty identifying and describing one’s emotions (i.e., alexithymia) is associated with greater negative affect and poorer relationship quality and common in persons with neurodegenerative diseases (PWNDs). The pathways connecting alexithymia and poor relationship quality are not clear, but one candidate could be shared affect. In this study, we investigate (a) whether alexithymia in PWNDs was associated with worse relationship quality, (b) whether shared negative affect or positive affect were associated with relationship quality, and (c) the extent to which shared affect explained the relationship between alexithymia and relationship quality. Trained coders viewed video recordings of PWNDs and their spousal care partners ( N = 225) engaging in a 10-min conversation about a relationship conflict and continuously rated the emotional valence of each dyad member. Results revealed that greater alexithymia in PWNDs was associated with worse relationship quality. Path analyses showed that greater shared negative but not positive affect partially explained this association.