Brain-inspired spatial intelligence for embodied agents.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) constitutes a serious public health problem due to its high prevalence and the multiple negative consequences it causes on the physical and mental health of victims . According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), approximately 25% of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical and/or sexual IPV at least once in their lives . This burden is especially high in low and middle-income countries, where the highest prevalence of violence against women is concentrated . In Peru, data from the 2024 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) reported that 52.0% of women had experienced some type of IPV at least once , which highlights its importance in the national context. This problem takes on an even more critical dimension during pregnancy, since pregnant women constitute a particularly vulnerable population . Their exposure to violence has been linked to obstetric complications, such as fetal trauma, preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, and increased risk of maternal mortality; as well as with mental health problems, including an increased risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and substance abuse . In this context, alexithymia, understood as the difficulty in identifying, describing, and expressing emotions , emerges as a crucial factor. It has been described as a possible coping mechanism in situations of chronic stress, such as violence, and could mediate or exacerbate emotional effects during pregnancy . However, although there is evidence of a significant relationship between IPV and alexithymia in adult women, the literature has not yet explored this association in pregnant women .