The Risk of Psychiatric Morbidity and Course of Distress in Males Undergoing Infertility Evaluation Is Affected by Their Factor of Infertility

Abstract

This panel study aimed to explore the effects of male, female, mixed or idiopathic factor of infertility on the course of clinical distress and possible psychiatric morbidity in involuntarily childless males undergoing fertility evaluation for the first time. A sample of 255 males completed the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) (a) at the baseline, before their initial fertility evaluation (T 1 ); (b) before their second andrological appointment 2–3 months after diagnostic disclosure (T 2 ); and (c) before subsequent treatment-related /follow-up appointments (T 3 , T 4 ) to be screened for clinically significant distress and risk for psychiatric morbidity. Then they were dichotomized as non-cases and cases. The timing of psychological testing was strictly related to andrological appointments and medical procedures. The research demonstrated that the baseline prevalence of clinical distress and psychiatric morbidity in all the subgroups was similar to reference values, but then significantly surged after the diagnostic disclosure, particularly in male and mixed factor respondents. However, the percentage of clinically distressed mixed or idiopathic factor of infertility respondents remained stable after diagnostic disclosure and during the entire follow-up. The prevalence of clinically significant distress and risk for psychiatric morbidity in the male factor of infertility, female factor of infertility, and mixed factor subgroups decreased during the follow-up but remained higher than at the baseline. The study identifies that the course of distress and risk of psychiatric morbidity of males is significantly affected by their factor of infertility and changes across the pathway of treatment-related /follow-up appointments.

Individual and Relational Well-Being at the Start of an ART Treatment: A Focus on Partners’ Gender Differences

“…Specifically, in women, couple's adjustment was also predicted by anxiety attachment, while in men other predictors of couple's adjustment were helplessness and type of diagnosis. In particular, husbands who had a mixed or idiopathic infertility factor reported lower levels of marital adjustment compared with other men, confirming results of other studies which underlined the role of diagnosis type in moderating the impact of infertility on individual and interpersonal well-being (Winkelman et al, 2016;Warchol-Biedermann, 2019).…”

“…And again, unexplained infertility was found to be associated with the highest sexual impact ( Winkelman et al, 2016 ). A similar result was reported by Warchol-Biedermann (2019) , who found that participants with a mixed or idiopathic factor of infertility reported higher levels of distress.…”

“…Given the heterogeneity of subgroups' dimensions with reference to diagnosis conditions, infertility diagnosis was recoded as a dichotomous variable: one group comprising idiopathic and both partners' diagnosis (BPD group; 51.2%) and another group comprising one partner's (male or female) factors diagnosis (OPD group; 48.8%), assuming that there may be a difference depending on whether or not a single partner was identified as responsible for the infertility. Indeed, while contrasting findings were reported about the differentiating impact of male vs. female factor on men's and women's wellbeing, previous studies found that individuals with a mixed factor or an idiopathic/unexplained infertility showed higher levels of distress (Winkelman et al, 2016;Warchol-Biedermann, 2019).…”

The Etiology of Infertility Affects Fertility Quality of Life of Males Undergoing Fertility Workup and Treatment

“…The risk of depression can be determined by the male’s age, income, cause of infertility, prognosis, duration of infertility, availability of affordable treatments, and perceived social support. The physical and psychological burdens of obtaining the diagnosis and the treatment of unintended childlessness may affect the quality of life of males from couples with an unfulfilled child wish ( Bechoua et al, 2016 ; Gameiro et al, 2012 ; Hanna & Gough, 2015; Holter et al, 2007 ; Kumbak et al, 2010 ; Martins et al, 2016 ; Pook & Krause, 2005 ; Schmidt et al, 2012 ; Warchol-Biedermann, 2019 ; Wischmann et al, 2009 ; Wischmann & Thorn, 2013 ). The term quality of life, defined as one’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns, remains an important issue in reproductive medicine and has often been used in the analyses of psychological outcomes of unwanted childlessness ( The WHOQOL Group, 1998 ).…”

Supportive care: men’s expectations who undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment

“…Attention to psychological and emotional needs is very essential especially in Iranian infertile couples because prevalence of depression in these couples was high [ 25 ]. Besides, previous studies showed that men's depressive symptoms increase in male factor infertility and more attention to their emotional counseling is necessary [ 26 , 27 ]. Although the cause of infertility in half of participants in the current research was different from the cited studies, their remarks showed that establishing counseling center can meet their various needs.…”