The Relationship between Alexithymia and Psychological Well-being among Pregnant Women ​

Over the past two decades, there has been widespread scientific attention to emotion regulation and the impact of emotional dysregulation on physical and mental health. The concept of alexia is rooted in the psychology of emotions and psychosomatic diseases. Many patients with psychosomatic complaints showed problems in emotional self-regulation. This research aimed to explore the association between alexithymia and psychological well-being in pregnant women during their 5th to 7th month of pregnancy. The study population consisted of pregnant women from the Mazandaran province, Iran, during 2022-2023. Employing purposive sampling, 200 pregnant women were selected from health centers. Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (FTAS-20) and the Psychological Well-being Scale (RSPWB). Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression test were used to analyze the data. Results revealed an inverse relationship between alexithymia and psychological well-being (r = -0.388, p < 0.01). Approximately 53% of the variance in psychological well-being scores could be attributed to alexithymia. In conclusion, alexithymia serves as an effective predictor of maternal psychological well-being.