Mindfulness, Alexithymia, and Social Support in Young Adults Living Away from Family

Abstract

The present study examines the relationship between mindfulness, alexithymia, and social support in 170 young adults living away from their family. A correlational research design was used with information collected from 162 respondents aged 18-25 years using standardized measures: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12). Strong negative correlations were found between alexithymia and mindfulness and positive correlations between mindfulness and social support, where social support also was negatively correlated with alexithymia. Social support and mindfulness, when compared to regression analysis, were found to predict lower levels of alexithymia significantly.