Infertility and mental health

Abstract

SummaryThe World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that 8–12% of couples worldwide experience infertility, and in recent years the number seeking treatment has dramatically increased. The diagnosis and therapy put a heavy psychological and physical burden on most patients, female and male. The incidence of depression in couples presenting for infertility treatment is significantly higher than in comparable fertile couples. Anxiety is significantly higher in infertile couples than in the general population. Professionals have become aware of the importance of providing educational interventions to address patients' fears and concerns, and to better prepare patients for the demands of treatment. Health professionals should follow a patient-centred approach to provide for the specific needs of the couple. Women in general have a positive attitude to seeking psychological help in the form of cognitive-behavioural therapy, couples counselling and infertility counselling.Learning Objectives•Learn about the incidence rates of infertility and its impact on the mental health of the couple.•Know about infertility treatment and its psychological impact.•Learn about the different management strategies that can be helpful in the treatment of mental illness associated with infertility.

Conception by means of in vitro fertilization is not associated with maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy or postpartum

“…Despite the well known psychologic distress of patients coping with subfertility and its medical management (9), only few controlled studies with heterogeneous design have so far focused on the association between treatments and maternal depression. Although a higher risk for perinatal depressive symptoms for women conceiving by fertility treatments was previously suggested (16), a recent meta-analysis could not confirm the association when considering only the postpartum period (18).…”

“…Yet maternal depressive symptoms, whether occurring during pregnancy or culminating in the postpartum period, are a common and major contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality (8). Furthermore, psychologic distress is, unsurprisingly, associated with subfertility (9), and several studies show a high prevalence of anxiety and depression among couples undergoing IVF (9)(10)(11). Treatment failures are particularly linked to psychologic distress (12), but even successful IVF mothers may experience a complex transition to parenthood with intense fetal attachment and anxiety (13)(14)(15).…”

The Persian version of the revised dyadic adjustment scale (RDAS): a validation study in infertile patients

“…Infertility is a couple's failure to get pregnant even with regular, unprotected intercourse for at least 12 months [13].. It has been reported that the global prevalence of infertility is 8-12% of couples [14]. The assessment of marital satisfaction among the infertile patient population is challenging regarding multiple psychological and mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiousness, sexual problems, low standard of living, and poorer marital adjustment [15][16][17][18]..…”

“…The assessment of marital satisfaction among the infertile patient population is challenging regarding multiple psychological and mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiousness, sexual problems, low standard of living, and poorer marital adjustment [15][16][17][18].. Concerning the well-known effect of infertility on psychological factors and the hypothesis of a mutual association between infertility and mental health problems, the process wherein depression, stress and anxiety influence infertility seems to be a subject of discussion [14].. Previous surveys have shown that infertility impacts mental well-being, marriage relationships, sexual interactions, and life quality [17].…”

Infertility and mental disorders in women. Communication 1

“…Депрессивная симптоматика обусловливает 25-75% случаев снижения либидо, эректильной дисфункции, уменьшения выделения вагинальной смазки. На патофизиологическом уровне расстройства настроения, негативно сказывающиеся на фертильности, реализуются в виде нарушения функции гипоталамо-гипофизарно-надпочечниковой системы и щитовидной железы или гиперпролактинемии [64].…”