(PS14-48) The Interactive Effects of Distress Tolerance and Alexithymia on Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Clusters in College Student

Alexithymia, without words for feelings, captures difficulties identifying and verbally describing emotional and internal states, and externally oriented thinking. Research suggests that alexithymia is a transdiagnostic risk factor in various psychological conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder. Lower self-reported distress tolerance (DT; e.g., absorption and appraisal) is differentially and inversely correlated with PTSD symptom clusters (e.g., hyperarousal and negative alterations in cognition and mood). Previous research indicates that low DT and high alexithymia (especially difficulties in identifying and describing feelings) independently act as risk factors for overall posttraumatic stress and symptom cluster severity. Yet, little is known about the synergistic interactions of these constructs and their sub-factors. For instance, would an individual who is low in DT and high on alexithymia be at a greater risk for overall posttraumatic stress and symptom clusters severity than another one who is high in both DT and alexithymia? A total of 213 college students were asked to complete a series of online self-report measures at baseline. Hayes Process Macro Model 1 with CIs 95% and 5000 bootstrapped samples were used to evaluate a potential protective role of DT on the relationships between alexithymia dimensions and posttraumatic stress symptom severity. Results demonstrated significant interactive effects, such that higher levels of DT were associated with weaker relationships between alexithymia dimensions and global posttraumatic stress as well as specific symptom clusters severity. However, no significant interactive effects were found for intrusion or avoidance symptom clusters. These findings suggest that high DT may buffer against alexithymia dimensions in relation to posttraumatic stress severity, but also this effect may be specific to certain specific symptom clusters. They also highlight the importance of better understanding relationships between risk and protective factors corresponding to specific posttraumatic symptom clusters.