Does alexithymia expose to mental disorder symptoms in late adolescence? A 4-year follow-up study.

Objective: To investigate the possible causal link between alexithymia and the emergence of anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as alcohol consumption in a sample of late adolescents.

Method: The nonclinical sample comprised late adolescents (n = 315), including both females (n = 256) and males (n = 59). The follow-up period was 4 years, and at baseline, the mean age of the subjects was 19 years (range 17-21 years).