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The Importance of Considering Alexithymia during Initial Stages of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions to Design Adjuvant Treatments

Author

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  • Ángel Romero Martínez

    (Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

  • Marisol Lila

    (Department of Social Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

  • Luis Moya-Albiol

    (Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

Empirical evidence supports that individuals with alexithymia might be prone to certain types of violence, such as intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). Moreover, considering that alexithymia is directly involved in behavior regulation, problems due to identifying and regulating emotional states might be postulated as responsible, at least in part, for the success of psychotherapeutic treatments designed for decreasing the future risk of reoffending. Therefore, we assessed whether alexithymia was a good predictor of the discontinuation of treatment (dropout) and the risk of recidivism during the initial stages of intervention in a sample of men convicted of IPVAW perpetration ( n = 118), while controlling for potential confounding variables (i.e., socio-demographic characteristics, impulsivity, and drug misuse). Our data demonstrate that high alexithymic traits lead to dropout and a high risk of recidivism during the initial stages of treatment, remaining significant even after including potential confounding variables. Even though impulsivity and drug misuse increase the amount of explained variance, none of them moderates the association of alexithymia with dropout and/or reoffending. It should be noted that this study identified alexithymia as a direct modulator of violence due to its effects on discontinuing IPVAW treatment during initial stages. Therefore, as we gain knowledge analyzing the relationships between previously mentioned factors, it could be applied to develop valid screening methods along with strengthening current rehabilitation programs and designing adjuvant treatments to increase their effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Ángel Romero Martínez & Marisol Lila & Luis Moya-Albiol, 2019. "The Importance of Considering Alexithymia during Initial Stages of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions to Design Adjuvant Treatments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-9, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:19:p:3695-:d:272526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ángel Romero-Martínez & Marisol Lila & Enrique Gracia & Christina M. Rodriguez & Luis Moya-Albiol, 2019. "Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence among Male Offenders: The Role of Set-Shifting and Emotion Decoding Dysfunctions as Cognitive Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-10, April.
    2. Sara Vitoria-Estruch & Ángel Romero-Martínez & Marisol Lila & Luis Moya-Albiol, 2018. "Could Alcohol Abuse Drive Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators’ Psychophysiological Response to Acute Stress?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Ángel Romero-Martínez & Marisol Lila & Manuela Martínez & Vicente Pedrón-Rico & Luis Moya-Albiol, 2016. "Improvements in Empathy and Cognitive Flexibility after Court-Mandated Intervention Program in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: The Role of Alcohol Abuse," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, March.
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