The Mediating Role of Alexithymia in the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Internet Addiction in Adolescents: Emphasizing the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) Model

Abstract

Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the mediating role of Alexithymia in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction, with an emphasis on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model in adolescents.

Methods and Materials: This study was descriptive-correlational and utilized structural equation modeling. The population consisted of adolescents aged 15 to 18 years on social networks in the year 2023. The sample size was 211 individuals, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Young's Internet Addiction Test, and Bernstein's Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software through path analysis.

Findings: The results showed that Alexithymia plays a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction in adolescents (P<0.01).

Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggested that programs designed and implemented to reduce internet addiction should take into account Alexithymia and aim to repair childhood traumas.