Family Communication Patterns and Emotional Schemas as Predictors of Addiction Tendency in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia.

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia, the incapacity to identify and express emotions, significantly influences the tendency to use drugs. The present study was conducted to determine the mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between family communication patterns and emotional schemas with addiction tendencies among adolescents. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in which 300 adolescent participants were recruited through convenience sampling in Shiraz, Iran, during the second semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. Data were collected using the Severity Measurement Instruments (SMI), the Revised Family Communication Patterns Questionnaire (RFCPQ), the Leahy Emotional Schemas Scale (LESS), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including the mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, and path analysis, were used to analyze the data in SPSS version 24. RESULTS: The findings suggested that conformity does not significantly impact the tendency toward addiction via alexithymia (β=-0.043, P=0.052). Conversely, negative emotional schemas were found to have a considerable positive indirect influence on the tendency toward addiction via alexithymia (β=0.005, P=0.126). Additionally, positive emotional schemas had a significant negative indirect influence on the tendency toward addiction via alexithymia (β=-0.007, P=0.140). Furthermore, dialogue exerted a significant negative indirect effect on the tendency toward addiction via alexithymia (β=-0.019, P=0.059). CONCLUSIONS: Family communication and emotional patterns influence adolescent addiction through emotional regulation (alexithymia). Therefore, addiction prevention programs for adolescents should combine family communication training with cognitive-emotional strategies to improve emotional processing and reduce maladaptive coping.