Alexithymia and the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders: Latent Profile Analysis of the TAS-20 and Associations With PID-5 Trait Domains and Facets.

Alexithymia is an important construct in personality pathology, yet its relation to the maladaptive trait domains of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) remains understudied. This study replicated and extended prior findings using variable- and person-centered analyses in a combined sample of psychiatric patients and community adults who completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5). Regression analyses examined associations between alexithymia facets and AMPD trait domains and facets, and latent profile analysis tested whether individuals formed distinct alexithymia profiles or differed mainly in severity. Difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings were broadly associated with maladaptive traits, especially Negative Affectivity and Detachment, whereas externally oriented thinking showed weaker, less consistent associations. Latent profiles reflected graded differences in alexithymia severity rather than distinct facet configurations, suggesting alexithymia is characterized by severity differences rather than discrete subtypes.