Psychiatric Morbidity amongst Infertile Chinese Women Undergoing Treatment with Assisted Reproductive Technology and the Impact of Treatment Failure

Abstract

This is a prospective study to assess the psychiatric morbidity in Chinese infertile women who underwent treatments with assisted reproductive technology and also the impact of treatment failure. The 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were employed before and 3 weeks after the assisted reproductive technology treatment. Data from 372 patients who completed the questionnaires and failed the treatment were analyzed. Before treatment, 33% of the participants scored above the GHQ cutoff, and 8% had a BDI score of 20 or above, signifying moderate to severe depression. Following failed treatment, 43% scored above GHQ cutoff, and 8% had BDI scores 20 or above. The posttreatment GHQ and BDI scores were significantly higher than the corresponding scores at baseline (p < 0.001). About 13% of the participants reported self-harm ideas. The severity of depression following a failed treatment was positively associated with the duration of infertility (p < 0.05), but not with the posttreatment BDI scores, age, education, and number of previous treatment episodes. Our results show that one third of the women who sought infertility treatment had an impaired psychological well-being. Following failed treatment, there was a further deterioration in mental health, and about 10% of the participants were moderately to severely depressed. Proper psychological care and counseling should be an integral part of infertility management among the Chinese population.

Psychologic and sexual dysfunction in primary and secondary infertile male patients

“…In our study, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that depression and low income were independent predictors that were associated with sexual dysfunction. Long-lasting infertility, and failed treatment attempts aggravate psychological problems as stress and especially depression (20). In infertile women depression and anxiety worsen with advanced age and prolonged duration of infertility (21).…”

Does infertility history affect the emotional adjustment of couples undergoing assisted reproduction? the mediating role of the importance of parenthood

“…Some studies have revealed no impact of infertility history in adjustment (Fekkes et al ., 2003; Lowyck et al ., 2009; Matsubayashi, Hosaka, Izumi, Suzuki, & Makino, 2001; Sina, Ter Meulen, & Carrasco de Paula, 2010); others found significant association between the variables (Benyamini et al ., 2005; Lok et al ., 2002; Wang et al ., 2007), indicating that longer duration of fertility problems and higher number of previous treatments were associated with more emotional difficulties. The inconsistency in study findings may be due, in part, to the assumption that the association between infertility history and emotional adjustment would be linear and constant along time.…”

Escala de Preocupações durante a Procriação Medicamente Assistida: Estudo exploratório das características psicométricas da versão portuguesa

“…Os factores da CART-P também não se mostraram correlacionados com a duração do diagnóstico de infertilidade. A este propósito, investigações anteriores apresentam resultados inconclusivos, com estudos a indicarem que existe um aumento do stresse e da psicopatologia ao longo do tempo (Berg & Wilson, 1991;Lok et al, 2002;Ramezanzadeh et al, 2004) e outros a apontarem para a inexistência de relação entre a depressão ou factores psicológicos e a duração da infertilidade (Hunt & Monach, 1997).…”