A Psychodynamic Approach to the Study of Infertility

Infertility as Boundary Ambiguity: One Theoretical Perspective

“…Many researchers have concluded that what was considered psychogenic or psychosomatic infertility in the past actually had physical causes for which medical science had no explanation at the time. They found that the emotional or psychological pathology that was often noted in infertile men and women was more attributable to the couple's reaction to infertility rather than its being the cause of infertility (4, 5, 17, 18, 20, 32, 33).…”

Psychiatric Interview Comparisons Between Infertile and Fertile Couples

“…Ford et al (10) and Nesbitt et al (11)'showed that infertile women experienced conflict over their femininity, and Sturgis et al (12) and Morris and Sturgis (15) demonstrated that infertile women experienced fear associated with reproduction. Eisner (14) found that infertile women showed more "emotional disturbance" on Rorschach protocols than fertile controls and that they were particularly more likely to give schizoid and-sexual responses' on their protocols.…”

The Question of Psychophysiologic Infertility: Some Negative Answers

“…9 Gynecological observations have lent weight to the theory that ambivalent dependency on their own mothers has made these women reluctant to adopt the mother-role themselves 10 in spite of their expressed desire for children. Along this line, Ford 12 reported that in a series of "organics," including patients with uterine fibroids, endometrioses, ovulatory failure, tubal spasm, and hostile cervix, the majority of the patients were characterized by the same psychodynamics as those in whom no reproductive tract disease could be found. 812 ' 13 It has been suggested that somatic compliance in the form of infertility may provide an unconscious defense against the motherhood for which these women 533 are not ready, 14 and find expression in the whole gamut of physiological obstacles to conception.…”