title: Alexithymia and fertility-related stress.
abstract: The investigation of the relationship between alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe feelings and the absence of fantasies, and fertility-related distress is a relatively neglected area of research. The aims of this study were to examine: (1) the prevalence of alexithymia in a sample of infertile women, and (2) the association between alexithymia, coping strategies, and fertility-related stress. This study included 160 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization in a public fertility clinic from September of 2013 to December of 2013. Self-report instruments were used to measure alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20), coping (COPE), and fertility-related stress (Fertility Problem Inventory). Bivariate and multiple linear regression were used. A high alexithymia score was positively associated with age, infertility duration, and low educational and economic level. Multivariate analyses showed that, controlling for demographic factors, high avoidance coping, low problem-appraisal coping, and high alexithymia were positively associated with fertility-related stress (β = 0.309, p < .001, β = -0.203, p = .006, β = 0.151, p = .050, respectively). Results of this study indicated that alexithymia during fertility treatment was associated with maladaptive coping strategies and psychological stress. In addition, the association between alexithymia and duration of infertility may be interpreted as secondary alexithymia acts as a coping strategy in infertile women.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Midwifery , TEI of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Kleanthi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gourounti
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Panteion University , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Fotios
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anagnostopoulos
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , College for Humanistic Sciences, ICPS , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Faie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Griva
authors.affiliation: d Eginition Hospital, Medical School , University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Grigorios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaslamatzis
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: alexithymia; coping; fertility-related stress; infertile women