Introduction: Tokophobia is a pathological fear of childbirth that can lead to the avoidance of pregnancy or childbirth. It is classified as an anxiety disorder and ranges from mild fear that does not affect daily functioning to tokophobia, which is characterized by intense feelings of fear, panic and anxiety when exposed to stimuli related to childbirth. Tokophobia is divided into primary and secondary types. Primary tokophobia often appears in early adulthood and leads women to the constant use of contraception. Secondary tokophobia develops after a traumatic obstetric event in a previous pregnancy. Women may fear medical interventions, pain, loss of control, unkind or unprofessional healthcare staff, long-term consequences on sexuality, needles, blood, hospital environments, or the death of the baby or themselves. Tokophobia negatively affects pregnant women and disrupts their physical and psychological well-being. Purpose: The purpose of this diploma thesis is to determine what tokophobia is, what its negative consequences are, to define the role of the nurse in recognizing and managing it, and to present non-pharmacological approaches for reducing it. Methods: A review of scientific and professional literature on the topic of tokophobia was conducted. Relevant literature was searched in bibliographic databases such as CINAHL Ultimate and MEDLINE/PubMed. Nine articles published within the last ten years were included in the final analysis. Results: The results show that several non-pharmacological approaches exist for reducing tokophobia. These involve cognitive therapies, prenatal education, psychological interventions, and physical and relaxation-based techniques. The most effective method appears to be a combination of psychological support and high-quality prenatal education. Discussion and conclusion: The literature review highlights the importance of early recognition of tokophobia and the key role of nurses in providing emotional support to pregnant women. A holistic approach within a multidisciplinary team, which includes both psychological support and prenatal education, has proven to be the most successful in reducing fear of childbirth.
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