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The mediating effect of psychological distress and bullying victimization on the relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia among school adolescents

Eman Alslman (Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA)
Imad Thultheen (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine)
Shaher H. Hamaideh (Community and Mental Health Nursing, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan)
Basema Nofal (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan)
Renad Hamdan-Mansour (The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan)
Ayman Hamdan Mansour (School of Nursing, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan)

Mental Health and Social Inclusion

ISSN: 2042-8308

Article publication date: 21 November 2023

Issue publication date: 2 December 2024

72

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to test the mediating effect of psychological distress and bullying victimization on the relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia (FM) among school adolescents.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used cross-sectional, correlational design. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1,000 school adolescents at Grade 9–12 who were recruited randomly using multistrategic sampling technique.

Findings

The analysis showed that alexithymia was a significant predictor of FM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.065). Psychological distress was also a significant predictor of FM; however, its mediating effect resulted in drop of OR to 1.041. The joined effect of bulling victimization and psychological distress found to be significant although OR dropped from 1.065 to 1.039.

Research limitations/implications

The study highlights the significant role of school health nurses and mental health counselors to early detect and direct mental health interventions toward significant psychological problems among school adolescents.

Originality/value

I affirm this information has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. All authors approve the content of the manuscript and have contributed significantly to research involved/ the writing of the manuscript. The authors affirm their commitment to transfer copyright ownership to your journal if the manuscript is accepted for publication. The authors also affirm they will obtain any other copyright permission if deemed necessary within 30 days of acceptance for publication. All identifying information regarding the study participants has been omitted and this study was approved by the IRB at School of Nursing of the University of Jordan. The research conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki in 1995 (as revised in Brazil, 2013). All participants gave informed consent for the research, and that their anonymity was preserved. None of the authors has financial or personal matters that may pose a conflict of interest.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Since submission of this article, the following authors have updated their affiliations: Basema Nofal is also at the Faculty of Nursing, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan and Renad Hamdan-Mansour is also at the Department of Research Center, Research Coordinator King Hussein Centre, Amman, Jordan.

Citation

Alslman, E., Thultheen, I., Hamaideh, S.H., Nofal, B., Hamdan-Mansour, R. and Hamdan Mansour, A. (2024), "The mediating effect of psychological distress and bullying victimization on the relationship between alexithymia and fibromyalgia among school adolescents", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 28 No. 5, pp. 842-856. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-09-2023-0096

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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