Alexithymia and internet gaming disorder The mediating role of internalizing and externalizing problems

Alexithymia is an essential predictor of problematic gaming, while the role of internalizing and externalizing problems in their relationship remains unclear. Nine hundred and twenty participants (18–25 yrs., 464 males) were evaluated through an online survey. Alexithymia was assessed with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), gaming intensity was evaluated with the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and reactive aggression was evaluated with the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). Serial mediation models were performed to examine the potential indirect pathways through which alexithymic is associated with disordered gaming. Multigroup analysis was used to explore the moderating role of gender. It was found that depression/anxiety and reactive aggression mediated the relationship between alexithymia and gaming severity in parallel and serial. Furthermore, the strength of internalizing pathways was more robust than the externalizing ones. Although the multigroup comparison did not reveal significant gender effects, the structure of the mediation models differed trivially between males and females. The present study confirmed the mediating role of depression/anxiety and reactive aggression in the relationship between alexithymia and gaming, which provides intervention studies with important targeting factors.