Congruence of quality of life among infertile men and women: findings from a couple-based study (original) (raw)
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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
Infertility is a stressor that affects infertile couples. Aim-to examine gender differences in quality of life (QoL), dysfunctional attitudes, unconditional self-acceptance, emotional distress and dyadic adjustment. Results-There is a significant gender difference in emotional and mind-body dimension of QoL, no significant gender difference in QoL relational and social dimension, intensity of dysfunctional attitudes, unconditional self-acceptance, emotional distress, dyadic adjustment. There are significant correlation between these parameters and dimensions of FertyQoL. Infertile couples (especially women) are at risk of a decreased quality of life when diagnosed and undergoing fertility treatment, so they should be provided psychological support.
The Relationship Between Depression and the Marital Adjustment of the Women on Infertility Treatment
British Journal of Medical and Health Research
The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, marital adjustment of the women receiving infertility treatment and the differentiation between depression, marital adjustment according to the sociodemographic variables. The study was run on women receiving infertility treatment in two separate centers who volunteered for the study by using sociodemographic survey form, Beck Depression Scale and Marital Adjustment Scale. The data was collected between April 2015-July 2015. Study group consisted of 228 women who applied for infertility treatment in the study period at two centers and who met the criteria and gave consent to the study. Data analyses were done using SPSS 21.0. In assessment of data, frequencies, percentages, means were used as well as Kruskall-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, Spearman correlation tests. Results were considered as significant when p value was less than 0,05. Duration of infertility treatment was 3-5 years in 33,3 % of the women while another 13,2% received it for 6-10 years. While 95,6 % of women were informed about infertility treatment, 61,8 % was emotionally depressed because of being unable to bear a child. Depression scores and marital satisfaction scores of women were related significantly and inversely having a correlation coefficient of r=-0,656 and a significance level of p=0,000. Depression level was found to be a significant predictor of marital satisfaction (R=0,779, R 2 =0,607, p<0,05). We also detected that marital satisfaction scores of women differed significantly when groups were compared for duration of infertility (p=0,007); women who had infertility treatment for less than 1 year had significantly higher marital adjustment scores when compared to patients who received the treatment for 3-5 years and more than 11 years.
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2018
Background: FertiQoL is a questionnaire internationally developed to measure fertility-specific quality of life. It has been validated with infertile populations in many countries and used in several studies focusing on the psychosocial consequences of infertility in Europe, Asia, and North America. Methods: Over a period of two years, 596 infertile women and men took part in the study conducted at three German fertility clinics. Psychometric properties of FertiQoL were tested by performing confirmatory factor analyses, calculating average variance extracted values, reliability and correlation coefficients. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the relations between FertiQoL subscales and both sociodemographic and medical variables. Individual and cross-partner effects were tested for. Results: The confirmatory factor analyses conducted on our FertiQoL data supported the original four-factor solution for both women and men but, resulted in some unsatisfactory indices. Family and friends' support items loaded weakly on the Social subscale of FertiQoL (.27 and .34 in women, .32 and .19 in men). The Emotional and Mind/Body subscales revealed a strong intercorrelation (r = .77, p < .001 in women, r = .74, p < .001 in men). Women scored lower than men on the Emotional and Mind/Body subscales only, and they reported better fertility-specific relational QoL. In women, the perceived cause of infertility and already mothering a child related significantly to individual FertiQoL scores, while in men, age, educational level, and the duration of their wish for a child had an impact on the FertiQoL subscales (all p < .05). The men's educational level, the women's educational level, and the subjective perceived medical cause of fertility problems exerted cross-partner effects on QoL (all p < .05). Conclusions: Our study results represent a contribution both to research and clinical practice. The findings suggest the importance of considering the personal experience of infertility in different cultural and gender specific settings and that the strong connections between the emotional, physical, and cognitive aspects of an individual's fertility-specific quality of life should be regarded as a more coherent system.
Human Reproduction, 2014
study question: Are severe depressive symptoms in women and men associated with individual and dyadic infertility-related stress in couples undergoing infertility treatment? summary answer: Severe depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased infertility-related distress at both the individual and partner level. what is known already?: An infertility diagnosis, the stress of medical treatments and a prior history of depression are risk factors for future depression in those undergoing fertility treatments. Studies examining the impact of severe depressive symptoms on infertility-related distress in couples are lacking. study design, size, duration: This cross-sectional study included 1406 couples who were consecutively referred patients undergoing fertility treatments in Denmark in the year 2000. A total of 1049 men and 1131 women were included in the study. participants/materials, setting, methods: Participants were consecutively referred patients undergoing a cycle of medically assisted reproduction treatment at five Danish public and private clinics specializing in treating fertility patients. Severe depressive symptoms were measured by the Mental Health Inventory 5 from the Short Form Health Survey 36. Infertility distress was measured by the COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scales. Multilevel modelling using the actor-partner interdependence model was used to study the couple as the unit of analysis. main results and the role of chance: Severe depressive symptoms were reported in 11.6% of women and 4.3% of men, and were significantly associated with increased infertility-related distress at the individual and partner level. There was no significant interaction for gender indicating that men and women did not differ in how severe depressive symptoms were associated with infertility distress. limitations, reason for caution: Because of the cross-sectional study design, the study findings only show an association between severe depressive symptoms to individual and partner distress at a single point in time; however, nothing is known about causality. wider implications of the findings: This study adds to the growing body of literature using the couple as the unit of analysis to study the relationship between depression and infertility distress. Recommendations for medical and mental health professionals that underscore the potential risk factors for depressed men and women who are pursuing infertility treatments are provided. Additional studies using a longitudinal study design to track the impact of depression on distress over the course of the infertility treatment cycle would be valuable for increasing our understanding of the complex relationship that exists between these psychosocial factors. study funding/competing interests: Authors Brennan Peterson and Matthew Pirritano have no financial disclosures for this study. Camilla Sandal Sejbaek and Lone Schmidt have received research grants from the Danish Health Insurance Foundation (J. nr. 2008B105) and Merck Sharp & Dohme. The funders had no influence on the data collection, analyses or conclusions of the study.
Quality of Life and Infertility: Influence of Gender, Years of Marital Life, Resilience, and Anxiety
Psychological Studies, 2016
Infertility is one of the most difficult experiences a couple can have in their life time. Epidemiological data suggest that approximately 80 million people worldwide are infertile. The present study was conducted to explore the quality of life of married couples in relation to fertility status, years of marital life, resilience, and anxiety. A sample of 312 participants (156 fertile and infertile couples) was included in the study. The data obtained were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling with quality of life as multi-component endogenous latent variable; fertility status, years of marital life, and gender of the couple as binary coded single-item exogenous variables; and resilience and freedom from anxiety as multi-component mediating variables. In addition, the structural model also included the interaction effect of fertility status, gender, and years of marital life on the mediators and the endogenous variable. Results revealed that about 54 % of variance in the quality of life could be explained using the model. Significant predictors of quality of life included fertility status, resilience, and freedom from anxiety. In addition, the effect of fertility status on quality of life was found to be moderated by both gender and years of marital life. The results also revealed that fertility status, gender, and years of marital life had additional indirect effects on quality of life through their effects on resilience and freedom from anxiety. Similarly, resilience had significant indirect effects on quality of life through its effects on freedom from anxiety.
Effects of a psychological intervention on depression in infertile couples
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2008
Objective: To determine factors affecting depression in infertile couples and the impact of a psychological intervention before or during infertility treatment. Methods: In a cross-sectional study with 638 infertile couples assessed for depression, 140 couples with a member who had a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score of 17 or higher were randomized to receive psychological treatment either before or during infertility treatment. Logistic regression was performed to eliminate confounding factors. Results: Depression was initially found in 48% of women and 23.8% of men. The mean ± SD Beck scores fell from 18.7 ± 9.7 to 10.7 ± 5.8 (P b 0.001) in the group psychologically treated before they received infertility treatment. Conclusion: The psychological intervention was found useful in alleviating depression in infertile couples before they received infertility treatment.
Ginekologia Polska
Objectives: Over the last few years, the impact of infertility on the psychological well-being of couples has been well recognised. Men and women with infertility experience stress, anxiety and depression and their relationship might be under pressure. Material and methods: We conducted a non-experimental correlational descriptive study where transversal analysis using questionnaires and quantitative data was performed for 76 couples with diagnosed infertility under the care of various reproductive medicine clinics in Romania between 2018 to 2019. Participants were asked to fill, via internet or in person, a set of tests including data on socio-demographic and infertility characteristics along with five psychological tests: The Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12. The aim of the study was to explore how couples with infertility respond and adapt to this diagnosis and to assess the relationship between emotional disorders, marital adjustment and social support. Results: Mean age of females was 34.2 and of males 36.7 and 38.2% of the couples were experiencing infertility for > 6 years. Women had worse scores on infertility-related distress (FPI) (t =-4.35, p = 0.01), on the BDI depression scale (t =-5.43, p = 0.01) and on anxiety scales (t =-5.48, p = 0.01). Participants with a longer duration of infertility scored significantly higher on infertility-related distress than those with more recent difficulties. Marital adjustment scores correlated negatively with emotional disorders. Both appraisal social support and belonging support moderated the relationship between state-anxiety and marital adjustment. Conclusions: Infertility carries a significant psychological burden for the couple and the longer its duration, the higher the distress level. Women seem to be more vulnerable to its psychological consequences. Marital adjustment correlates negatively with the degree of emotional disorders. In couples with high levels of social support, the relationship between state-anxiety and marital adjustment was negatively correlated.