The Moderating Role of Positive and Negative Affects on the Relationship Between Alexithymia and Experience of Pain in Chronic Pain Patients

To investigate the moderating role of positive and negative affects on the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain in a sample of chronic pain patients, 100 chronic musculoskeletal pain patients (67 women, 33 men) participated in this research. All participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Visual Analogue Scale for Pain Severity (VAS). Positive and negative affects moderated the relationship between alexithymia and experience of pain in opposite directions. Positive affects decreased the effect of alexithymia on experience of pain, while negative affects increased the effect of alexithymia on experience of pain.