The Relationship between Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms and Alexithymia with Hypochondria: Mediating Role of Marital Satisfaction in Women Attending a Women's Clinic
Keywords:
Premenstrual syndrome symptoms, Alexithymia, Hypochondria, Marital satisfactionAbstract
This study was conducted to determine the relationship between Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) symptoms and alexithymia with hypochondria, with marital satisfaction as a mediator, in women attending women's clinics in Tehran city. The research, in terms of objective, is applied and, in terms of methodology, is descriptive-correlational, similar to Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The research population included all women who visited women's clinics in Tehran in the year 2024. The sampling method used was purposive sampling, selecting participants based on convenience and their willingness to participate. Among the visitors to 10 selected women's clinics in Tehran (chosen based on the number of visits related to premenstrual symptoms), a sample size of 210 women was selected, which satisfies the minimum requirement for SEM analysis. Data were collected using questionnaires designed to measure premenstrual symptoms, hypochondria, alexithymia, and marital satisfaction. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics from the SEM hypothesis test were utilized based on path analysis. The results indicated that PMS has a direct effect on hypochondria in women, and alexithymia also directly influences hypochondria in women. Additionally, premenstrual symptoms indirectly affect hypochondria through the mediating role of marital satisfaction, and emotional suppression indirectly impacts self-care agency through the mediating role of marital satisfaction.
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