Aslı Deşer, Sibel Tunç Karaman, Okcan Basat
İstanbul Medical Journal - 2026;27(2):129-135
Introduction: This study aimed to examine cognitive flexibility and pregnancy-related anxiety among pregnant women and to explore their relationships with attentional functions during pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 125 pregnant women attending the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of Gaziosmanpaşa Training and Research Hospital. Data were collected using a descriptive information form, the cognitive flexibility inventory (CFI), the pregnancy-related anxiety scale (PRAS), and verbal fluency tests (phonemic and semantic). Results: Participants had a mean age of 28.5+/-6.01 years (range: 18-44). The mean total number of words produced in verbal fluency tests was 70.95+/-24.0. The mean PRAS score was 70.86+/-14.20, reflecting low-to-moderate anxiety levels. Their mean CFI score was 68.65+/-10.66, suggesting moderate-to-good cognitive flexibility. PRAS and CFI scores were negatively correlated (r: -0.238, p=0.008), while CFI scores were positively correlated with total word count (r: 0.299, p=0.001). Participants who reported persistent attention difficulties and forgetfulness had significantly higher PRAS scores than those without these complaints (p=0.010 for attention difficulties and p=0.011 for forgetfulness). Conclusion: Pregnant women in this study exhibited low-to-moderate pregnancy-related anxiety and moderate-to-good cognitive flexibility. Higher cognitive flexibility was significantly associated with lower anxiety and better verbal fluency. Although no direct link was found between anxiety and verbal fluency, self-reported attentional difficulties were associated with higher anxiety and reduced cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that cognitive flexibility may act as a protective factor during pregnancy and may represent a promising target for prenatal mental health interventions.
