BACKGROUNDThis study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in infertile women and men undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.METHODSParticipants were 1090 consecutive women and men, 545 couples, attending a fertility clinic in Sweden during a two-year period. The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD), based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn (DSM-IV), was used as the diagnostic tool for evaluating mood and anxiety disorders.RESULTSOverall, 862 (79.1%) subjects filled in the PRIME-MD patient questionnaire. Any psychiatric diagnosis was present in 30.8% of females and in 10.2% of males in the study sample. Any mood disorder was present in 26.2% of females and 9.2% of males. Major depression was the most common mood disorder, prevalent in 10.9% of females and 5.1% of males. Any anxiety disorder was encountered in 14.8% of females and 4.9% males. Only 21% of the subjects with a psychiatric disorder according to DSM-IV received some form of treatment.CONCLUSIONSMood disorders are common in both women and men undergoing IVF treatment. The majority of subjects with a psychiatric disorder were undiagnosed and untreated.

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Objective. To explore the experience of undergoing unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and of remaining childless 3 years after IVF in both women and men. Design. Qualitative-approach study. Sample. Ten women and nine men who had attended a public fertility clinic in Sweden. Methods. Individual qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with qualitative content analysis guiding the analysis. Results. Three years after the end of IVF treatment, most men and women were still processing and had not adapted to childlessness, indicating that the grieving process was unresolved. Unsuccessful IVF was experienced by women in terms of grief, whereas men took upon themselves a supportive role and did not express grief. A need for professional support and counseling in how to handle grief was described. An unstructured end after IVF treatment left unanswered questions. Conclusions. The grieving process after unsuccessful IVF treatment was hampered among both men and women. The provision of additional individual support during IVF is recommended as men and women experienced childlessness differently. Support and counseling concerning grief reactions following IVF failure, and a structured final consultation after IVF may facilitate the grieving process after undergoing unsuccessful IVF treatment.

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The high consistency between the countries suggests that the RIMS questionnaire is reliable for both women and men to be used in both countries and two of three factors were similar between the two countries.