Psychosocial factors and male seminal parameters

The relationships between (a) alexithymia, (b) extroversion (E), neuroticis m (N), psychoticism (P), (c) coping style towards stressors, and seminal pa rameters, were assessed in 132 males on their first seminal fluid examinati on by means of a multivariate approach. They were given the TAS-20, the EPQ , and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Seminal paramet ers were: (1) sperm concentration; (2) total sperm count; (3) forward motil ity; (4) atypical forms. Multiple regressions considering quantitative para meters of seminal status as criterion showed a negative relationship with P . difficulty describing feelings (DDF), while a positive relationship was f ound for N. and emotion-oriented coping. A discriminant analysis also showe d that P? N and DDF distinguished between two groups of normozoospermic and oligozoospermic subjects with a high probability of correct classification s. Results confirm the hypothesis that biological and psychological variabl es are not completely independent or randomly related in people with an imp aired seminal status, although the correlations between psychosocial and bi ological data an not very strong. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.