P02-522 - Deficit in speech development at the age of five years predicts alexithymia in late adolescent males

Conclusion The results suggest speech development is a significant factor in the developmental process of alexithymia, at least in males. It is possible that children who have impaired language skills and therefore struggle in social situations have a higher risk of developing alexithymia. This emphasizes the need for further research, to assess how the inadequate speech development predisposes to the emergence of alexithymic features and whether it is a gender-specific phenomenon.