The Toronto Alexithymia Scale–20 is arguably the most utilized measure of alexithymia. Although a three-factor solution has been found by numerous studies, these findings are not universal. This article examined and compared 18 competing factor structures for the Toronto Alexithymia Scale–20, which included between one and four correlated latent factor structures, common methods models that accounts for negatively worded items, and bifactor models. Although the two-factor bifactor model with a common methods factor had the better model fit compared with the other 17 models examined, it still did not achieve the requisites of a good model fit across all model fit indices. Issues stemmed primarily from the externally oriented thinking factor and the negatively worded items. Post hoc analyses indicated that a two-factor bifactor model with the negatively worded items dropped achieved the requisites of a good model fit and can be treated as a unidimensional measure despite the presence of multidimensionality. Multiple-group analysis indicated that the factor loadings were invariant across U.S. and Philippines samples. After controlling for noninvariance at the item intercept level, the Philippines sample had a higher alexithymia general score compared with the U.S. sample.

The current results offer direction for potentially modifying brief alcohol interventions in efforts to reduce students' engagement in problem drinking behaviors. For example, interventions might incorporate information on the risks of using alcohol as a means of emotion regulation and offer alternative emotion regulation strategies.

Alcohol use to replace inadequate dissociative capabilities, or chemical dissociation, has been linked to college students with childhood or adolescent sexual abuse (CASA). Insofar as CASA-exposed persons experience a restricted range of dissociative capabilities, what remains relatively unclear is whether some desire to achieve greater dissociative experiences. Nonclinical levels of dissociative tendencies have positively predicted alcohol-related blackouts in CASA-exposed students, and dissociation mediated the relations between CASA and intoxication frequency. Although alcohol (similar to dissociation) can reduce physiological and psychological responses to stress, alcohol consumption may be prompted by a desire to dissociate rather than inadequate dissociative tendencies alone. To investigate this interpretation of the chemical dissociation phenomenon, researchers examined the mediating potential of dissociative tendencies using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) as well as the desire to dissociate concept (ie, a modified version of the DES-II) on the relations between CASA exposure and problematic alcohol use in college students (N = 298). Results indicated that dissociation scores did not replicate previous mediation findings whereas desire to dissociate scores fully mediated CASA exposure and problematic alcohol use. Implications of the results are discussed including possible reasons why prior mediation results were not replicated as well as links to experiential avoidance.

The present study examined whether childhood sexual trauma moderated the relationships between dissociation and both problematic college drinking and alcohol-induced blackouts among a sample of college females (N = 156). Cross-sectional data were consistent with the moderation hypotheses. Simple effects showed that the relationship between dissociation and blackout frequency as well as problematic drinking only existed among those with sexual trauma histories (p < .035), but not among those reporting no sexual trauma exposure (p = .333). Findings implicate the use of alcohol as a possible maladaptive coping mechanism among college females with childhood sexual trauma.

Heightened perceptions of academic stress may increase college alcohol use behaviors, namely problem drinking and drinking to cope. Leading from prior research, the current study examined posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms as a mediator between academic stress and alcohol use behaviors. Undergraduate participants (N=200) completed an online survey battery. Results indicated that posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms mediated the relationship between academic stress and drinking to cope. Findings maintained after excluding the small portion of the sample without prior trauma. Results suggest that early trauma exposure may increase stress sensitivity, which is associated with elevated nontraumatic academic stress and stress-related symptoms. An increase in stress symptoms likely promotes drinking as a method of coping. Information on the role of trauma and stress may be incorporated into alcohol intervention programs.