Assessing Alexithymia: Psychometric Properties of the Russian Version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire

Abstract

The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ; Preece et al., 2018) is a recently developed 24-item self-report measure of alexithymia. Originally created in English, the questionnaire was designed to assess all facets of alexithymia and do so across both negative and positive emotions. This study aimed to introduce and examine the psychometric properties of the first Russian version of the PAQ. Our sample was 229 Russian-speaking adults aged 18–60 (M = 28.59, SD = 9.41) from the general population. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the PAQ’s factor structure. The convergent and divergent validity of the questionnaire was assessed via relationships with other measures of alexithymia, emotional reactivity, mental health symptoms, and trait vitality. The questionnaire demonstrated strong factorial validity, and convergent and divergent validity was also empirically supported. Internal consistency reliability was good for all subscales and the total score. Overall, the Russian version of the PAQ therefore appears to have strong psychometric properties, thus supporting the cross-cultural applicability of the alexithymia construct and this instrument. The capacity of the PAQ to assess alexithymia across both negative and positive emotions should usefully advance alexithymia assessments in Russian settings. The clinical relevance of appraising positive emotions seems to be important for future investigations in Russian samples.