Verbal description of pain by adolescents with high levels of alexithymia
https://doi.org/10.26907/2541-7738.2025.4.131-142
Abstract
Alexithymia refers to a specific cognitive-affective disturbance characterized by difficulties in identifying and verbalizing sensations, feelings, and emotions. It has been investigated from various perspectives: psychological, clinical, cognitive, social, and, to a much lesser extent, linguistic. Over the past two decades, a series of interdisciplinary studies with alexithymic adults, including Russian-speaking samples, have led to the development of linguistically valid diagnostic tools that are now successfully used in clinical practice to treat adult patients with high levels of alexithymia. Much less is known about alexithymia in children and adolescents, and the association between alexithymia and language deficits in Russian-speaking samples of these age groups has received only sporadic attention. In the present article, the verbalization of pain sensations among adolescents with high levels of alexithymia is analyzed. Their perception of clinical pain descriptors is described. A new tool for diagnosing pain conditions in adolescents is proposed.
Keywords
alexithymia,
psycholinguistic aspects,
adolescents,
pain,
nausea,
verbalization,
verbal description,
descriptor,
free description,
emotional intelligence
Supporting agencies: This study was supported by the grant from the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences for young Candidate of Sciences degree holders (postdoctoral students) aimed to support them in writing doctoral dissertations, performing research work, and fulfilling professional responsibilities within scientific and educational organizations of the Republic of Tatarstan as part of the State Program of the Republic of Tatarstan “Scientific and technological development of the Republic of Tatarstan” (agreement no. 12/2024-PD dated December 16, 2024).
About the Author
E. A. Gorobets
Kazan Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Elena A. Gorobets, Cand. Sci. (Philology), Associate Professor, Head of Department of Applied and Experimental Linguistics, Leading Researcher of Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Head of Center for Speech Pathology at University Clinic
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For citations:
Gorobets E.A. Verbal description of pain by adolescents with high levels of alexithymia. Kazan Journal of Historical, Linguistic, and Legal Research. 2025;167(4):131-142. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2541-7738.2025.4.131-142
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