Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties and the suitability of the three-factor model of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; AlEdan, 2019a) in a Sudanese sample. The study sample consisted of 1,241 participants, including 366 males, drawn from the general Sudanese population, with ages ranging from 18 to 60 years (M = 26.7, SD = 8.45). Results indicated gender differences favoring females in the total alexithymia score, as well as in the subscales of difficulty describing and expressing feelings. The overall scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.801), while the subscales showed α values of 0.272, 0.665, and 0.817, respectively. All item-to-factor correlations were positive and statistically significant, and most items correlated significantly with the total scale score, except for item 18; however, correlations for most items in the third subscale were weak. Measurement invariance testing revealed equivalence across gender at multiple levels, including configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance, with ΔCFI < 0.01, confirming the comparability of the scale between males and females. Most items demonstrated good discriminative ability between alexithymic and non-alexithymic participants. Moreover, the total TAS-20 score and the subscales of difficulty describing and identifying feelings showed significant positive correlations with both anxiety and depression.