Alexithymia and Parental Bonding in Women with Genitopelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder

Objective: The role of emotion regulation and alexithymia in the pathophysiology of genitopelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) is emphasized. Parental bonding is linked to emotion regulation and alexithymia. This study aimed to examine the relationships between parental bonding, alexithymia, and GPPPD.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-four patients with GPPPD were enrolled in the study, and 60 controls were matched for demographic features. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to evaluate alexithymia, the Bonding to Parents Scale (BPS) was used to assess parental bonding, and sexual functions were assessed via Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS).

Results: The rate of alexithymic traits was statistically higher in the GPPPD group than in the controls ( = 0.005). Patients with GPPPD obtained higher scores on the maternal care/control ( = 0.003) and maternal overprotection ( = 0.008) compared to controls. Difficulty describing feelings factor of alexithymia ( = 0.012) emerged as a predictor of group membership (GPPPD vs controls). To test whether alexithymia was significantly associated with parental bonding, all subjects were divided into two subgroups, alexithymic and non-alexithymic. When the subgroups were compared in terms of parental attitudes, maternal ( = 0.034) and paternal ( = 0.006) overprotection subscale scores were higher in the alexithymic group than in the non-alexithymic group.

Discussion: According to the results, alexithymic traits are characteristic of patients with GPPPD; however, although patients with GPPPD may experience difficulties with perceived parental bonding, this factor does not appear to be a predictor of GPPPD.