Alexithymia is prevalent among children with CF and their mothers, contributing to poor sleep in children and maternal depression, suggesting that routine psychological screening for emotional regulation difficulties in both patients and caregivers may enhance the quality of CF care.
Alexithymia was highly prevalent in children with cystic fibrosis, affecting more than half of the study sample.
Alexithymia was also highly prevalent among mothers of children with cystic fibrosis.
Higher alexithymia scores in children with CF were significantly associated with worse sleep disturbances.
Higher alexithymia scores in mothers of children with CF were significantly associated with greater maternal depression.
No significant correlations were observed between alexithymia scores and clinical disease parameters in children with CF.
This was a cross-sectional study of 36 children with CF aged 9-18 years and their mothers using standardized psychological and clinical assessment tools.
This research suggests that difficulty identifying and expressing emotions — a psychological trait called alexithymia — is very common in both children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their mothers. In a study of 36 children aged 9-18 with CF and their mothers, more than half of both groups showed signs of alexithymia. This is notable because CF is a serious chronic illness that requires intensive daily management, and the emotional toll on both patients and caregivers is often underappreciated. The study found that children with higher levels of alexithymia also tended to have worse sleep problems, and mothers with higher alexithymia scores were more likely to experience depression. Interestingly, alexithymia in children was not related to how physically severe their CF was — it appeared regardless of lung function, nutritional status, or overall clinical condition. This suggests that emotional regulation difficulties are a separate concern from the physical aspects of the disease and need to be addressed on their own terms. This research suggests that routine psychological screening for emotional regulation difficulties — not just for children with CF, but also for their caregivers — could be an important part of comprehensive CF care. Identifying alexithymia early may open the door to interventions that help patients sleep better, help parents manage depression, and potentially improve overall wellbeing for the whole family navigating this demanding condition.
Şişmanlar Eyüboğlu T, Aslan A, Hocoğlu Z, Asfuroğlu P, Çakir E, Soysal Acar A, et al.. (2026). "No Words for Feelings": Alexithymia in Children With Cystic Fibrosis and Their Caregivers.. Pediatric pulmonology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.71531