Prevalence of Alexithymia and Its Association with Interpersonal Relationships Among Undergraduate Students in Himachal Pradesh

2026-09-11T11:09:39+00:00

Background: Alexithymia is characterized by difficulty identifying, understanding, and expressing emotions and may adversely affect communication and interpersonal functioning. Undergraduate students are particularly vulnerable to emotional and psychosocial challenges during this developmental period. However, limited evidence is available regarding the prevalence of alexithymia and its relationship with interpersonal functioning among undergraduate students in Himachal Pradesh.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of alexithymia and to determine the association of alexithymia among undergraduate students of Himachal Pradesh with selected socio-demographic variables.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate students of Himachal Pradesh, selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and an interpersonal relationship scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results: Among the 200 participants, 91 (45.5%) demonstrated alexithymia, 67 (33.5%) had possible alexithymia, and 42 (21.0%) had no alexithymia. Regarding interpersonal relationships, 115 (57.5%) participants were dissatisfied, whereas 85 (42.5%) were satisfied. A statistically significant weak negative correlation was observed between alexithymia and interpersonal relationship scores (r = −0.287, p < 0.001), indicating that higher alexithymia was associated with poorer interpersonal relationships. Among the selected socio-demographic variables, religion showed a statistically significant association with the association between alexithymia and interpersonal relationships (χ² = 13.95, df = 6, p = 0.030).

Conclusion: Alexithymia was prevalent among the undergraduate students studied and was significantly associated with poorer interpersonal relationships. Early identification, emotional-awareness training, counselling, and mental health promotion programmes should be incorporated into educational settings to strengthen emotional functioning and interpersonal well-being.

Journal of Counselling and Family Therapy

Prevalence of Alexithymia and Its Association with Interpersonal Relationships Among Undergraduate Students in Himachal Pradesh