Alexithymia and its subgroup characteristics in Chinese empty-nesters with multiple chronic diseases: an exploration based on latent class analysis (opens in new tab)

BackgroundAlexithymia is common among older adults, particularly those with multiple chronic conditions; however, its heterogeneity in empty-nest populations remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to identify latent subgroups of alexithymia and examine their characteristics among elderly empty-nesters with multiple chronic diseases.MethodsA total of 561 empty-nest older adults with at least two chronic conditions were recruited from six cities in Jiangsu Province, China (November 2...