Investigation of the relationship between self-perception and alexithymia levels of high-risk pregnant women

Alexithymia, known as emotional unresponsiveness, can occur at any time in response to extreme stress during upsetting life events. A risky pregnancy is also a challenging process associated with psychological and emotional difficulties, and pregnant women may experience perception problems. Therefore, a risky pregnancy diagnosis may trigger the development of alexithymia. This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-perception and alexithymia levels in women diagnosed with high-risk pregnancies. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 250 high-risk pregnant women admitted to the hospital between June and November 2022. Data were gathered using the "Socio-demographic Information Form", A Alexithymia Scale" and the "Pregnant Women's Self-Perception Scale ". The data was analyzed using the Independent T-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson Correlation Test, and Simple Linear Regression Analysis. The statistical significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. The mean age of the pregnant women in the study group was 30.25 +/- 5.78 years. It was found that there was a significant negative correlation between the total score of the A Alexithymia Scale and the Total Score of the Motherhood Perception of Pregnancy Sub-dimension (r=-.197; p < 0.05) and the Total Score of the Body Perception of Pregnancy Sub-dimension (=-.395; p < 0.05). A one-unit increase in the pregnant women's score on the Body Perception Sub-dimension causes a decrease of 1.822 points in the A Alexithymia Scale score. The study's findings indicate that pregnant women with a high motherhood perception but a negative body perception have lower alexithymia levels. Therefore, alexithymia levels decrease in pregnant women who can make sense of and express their negative emotions during risky pregnancies.