Abstract
Previous research has examined the challenges associated with the transition into undergraduate life and how during this time of adjustment the prevalence and severity of depression symptoms among college students seems to be rising (Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Gollust, 2007). This study addresses these issues using a longitudinal design in a college sample in order to test a new mediation model in which a maladaptive stress coping mechanism, catastrophizing, mediates the relationship between alexithymia and depression. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) alexithymia predicts increased depression symptoms, and (2) maladaptive stress coping will mediate the relationship between alexithymia and depression. Specifically, catastrophizing will increase with higher alexithymia and depression symptoms will increase with increased catastrophizing. The analysis demonstrated support for the cross-sectional model at baseline, showing that at baseline higher alexithymia scores predicted higher depression symptoms, mediated by higher catastrophizing scores. The results of the study did not demonstrate support of the longitudinal model. Higher catastrophizing at baseline significantly predicted increased catastrophizing at T2 and higher depression at baseline significantly predicted increased depression at T2. However, higher alexithymia, mediated by catastrophizing, did not significantly predict increased depression at T2 in this model, potentially a consequence of having a smaller sample size. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge for future research on the relationships between alexithymia, depression, and maladaptive stress coping. Future research could explore other mediating mechanisms of alexithymia on depression in order to understand the different risk factors leading to depression in college students. \r Keywords: alexithymia, depression, stress coping, mediation, catastrophizing