The psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on women who become pregnant after receiving treatment for infertility: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Objective To compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of infertility patients who have become pregnant to women who have not. Design Prospective cohort study from April to June 2020. Participants completed three questionnaires over this period. Setting A single large, university-affiliated infertility practice. Patient(s) 443 pregnant women and 1476 women still experiencing infertility who completed all three questionnaires. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Patient-reported primary stressor over three months of the first major COVID-19 surge. Further data on self-reported sadness, anxiety, loneliness and the use of personal use of coping strategies. Results Pregnant participants were significantly less likely to report taking an antidepressant (p<0.01) or anxiolytic medication (p<0.001), to have a prior diagnosis of depression (p<0.01), were more likely to cite COVID-19 as a top stressor (p<0.001) and overall were less likely to practice stress-relieving activities during the first surge. Conclusion Women pregnant following infertility treatment cited the pandemic as their top stressor and were more distressed about the pandemic than their non-pregnant counterparts but were less likely to be engaging in stress-relieving activities. Given the ongoing impact of the pandemic, infertility patients pregnant after treatment should be counseled and encouraged to practice specific stress-reduction strategies.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Women’s Health and Obstetric Outcomes after Assisted Reproduction: A Survey from an Italian Fertility Center

“…Infertility is a distressing condition that induce emotional, financial, and social strain [ 5 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic intensifies this stressful status in infertile women attempting ART, due to its impact on women’s life (isolation, economic shutdowns, unemployment, and fear of contamination) [ 6 ].…”