The Moderating Role of Alexithymia in the Relationship Between Anger and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in Veterans

Among the factors influencing intimate partner violence (IPV), alexithymia and anger have emerged as key areas of concern, though few studies have examined these risk factors together. In this study, we examined the interactive effects of alexithymia and anger on psychological and physical IPV perpetration in a sample of 130 male veterans. Participants were recruited through clinician referrals, self-referrals, and court referrals from two major metropolitan areas in the Northeast, and all veterans reported at least one trauma exposure in their lifetime. The following self-report measures were used: the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Trait Anger Scale of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Psychological Aggression and Physical Assault subscales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Moderation analyses were conducted, and findings revealed a statistically significant interactive effect between anger and alexithymia on psychological IPV. However, the interactive effect was only statistically significant for those without clinically significant alexithymia. At higher levels of alexithymia, there was no interactive effect with anger, suggesting that less emotional awareness is directly associated with psychological IPV use regardless of the individual’s level of anger. These findings underscore the complex interplay between alexithymia, anger, and IPV in veterans and highlight the importance of more nuanced intervention strategies that take varying levels of anger and alexithymia into account. Focusing on promoting healthy anger expression while also targeting emotional awareness and processing may be particularly beneficial for those with lower, but present, levels of anger and alexithymia.