Relation of anxiety and depressive symptoms with perceived social support according to gender within infertile couples

Abstract

Relation of anxiety and depressive symptoms with perceived social support according to gender within infertile couples Objective: Evaluation of infertile couples' emotional symptoms and perceived social supports according to gender differences.Method: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were administered to 66 primarily infertile couples that did not have psychiatric Axis-I disorders according to DSM-IV.Results: According to the scale's average points, the samples' depressive symptom levels did not indicate clinical depression; rather, anxiety levels were in normal ranges. Comparing participants' anxiety according to gender, female participants were more anxious than male participants. Couples reported less anxiety and depression as long as they perceived higher social support. It was found that the combined infertility group, in which both women and men have problems to conceive, had more perceived social support from significant other and friends than in the female-originated infertility group. Also, results revealed that the male-originated infertility group reported more perceived social support from significant other compared to the female-originated infertility group. Sonuç: İnfertil çiftlerde erkeklerin kadınlara göre sosyal desteğinin, kadınların ise emosyonel zorlanmasının daha fazla olduğu, bunun yanında çiftlerin algıladığı yeterli sosyal desteğin emosyonel semptomları azalttığı anlaşıldı.

Psychological experience and coping strategies of patients in the Northeast US delaying care for infertility during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…It has been shown that anxiety is the biggest psychological obstacle for infertile patients ( 29 ). However, social support is an important factor in mitigating the experience of anxiety.…”

“…It has been noted that stress from infertility decreases as resources and strategies related to social coping increase ( 30 ). Women with infertility experience more anxiety when they perceive low levels of social support from their partners and other family members ( 29 ). Also, individuals with higher levels of resilience are better equipped to actively apply social coping methods ( 31 ).…”

Primer İnfertil Kadınların Algıladıkları Sosyal Destek ile İnfertiliteden Etkilenme Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişkinin Belirlenmesi

“…Özellikle infertilite nedenindeki belirsizlik, tedavi süresinin bilinmemesi, tedavilerin olumsuz sonuçlanması, tedavinin ekonomik yükü, toplum baskısı gibi nedenlerle psikolojik problemlerin infertil popülasyonda daha sık olduğu görülmektedir (4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Ayrıca çocuk sahibi olamama çiftin her ikisini de etkilemekle birlikte kadınların erkeklerden "daha fazla stres ve sosyal baskı hissettikleri, anksiyete ve depresyon oranlarının daha yüksek olduğu görülmektedir (9)(10)(11). Çünkü infertilite erkeğe ait nedenlerden kaynaklansa bile karmaşık girişimsel tanı-tedavi yöntemlerine ve toplum baskısına kadınlar daha fazla maruz kalmaktadır (8)(9)(10)(11)(12).…”

“…Ayrıca çocuk sahibi olamama çiftin her ikisini de etkilemekle birlikte kadınların erkeklerden "daha fazla stres ve sosyal baskı hissettikleri, anksiyete ve depresyon oranlarının daha yüksek olduğu görülmektedir (9)(10)(11). Çünkü infertilite erkeğe ait nedenlerden kaynaklansa bile karmaşık girişimsel tanı-tedavi yöntemlerine ve toplum baskısına kadınlar daha fazla maruz kalmaktadır (8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Yapılan çalışmaların sonuçları da, infertil çiftlerde erkeklere oranla kadınlarda daha fazla psikiyatrik belirti ve bulgulara rastlandığını göstermektedir (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14).…”

Association of Body Mass Index With Depression Among Primary Infertile Women.

“…Infertile couples experience chronic stress each month in case of the failure of fertilization 14 . Several researchers have claimed that in the presence of stressors, women use concentrated confrontation on excitement more often compared to men 15 . The findings of one study in this regard indicated that 48% of infertile women and 23.8% of infertile men suffered from depression, while 44% of infertile women were diagnosed with psychological disorders 14 .…”