Authors
1 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery
2 Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The process of assisted reproductive treatment is a stressful situation in the
treatment of infertile couples and it would harm the mental health of women. Fertile women
who started infertility treatment due to male factor infertility have reported to experience
less stress and depression than other women before the assisted reproductive process but
considering the cultural and social factors and also the etiology of the assisted reproductive
process, it could affect the metal health of these women. Therefore, this study was conducted
to evaluate the mental health of fertile women who undergo assisted reproductive treatment
due to male factor infertility. Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective study on
70 fertile women who underwent assisted reproductive treatment due to male factor infertility.
The exclusion criterion was to stop super ovulation induction. To assess mental health,
anxiety and depression dimensions of the general health questionnaire were used. Before
starting ovulation induction and after oocyte harvesting, the general health questionnaire
was filled by women who were under treatment. Data were analyzed using multi‑variable
linear regression, paired t‑test, and Chi‑square. Results: The results showed that the mean
score of depression and anxiety before ovulation induction and after oocyte harvesting were
not significantly different; but the rate of mental health disorder in the depression dimension
was significantly decreased after oocytes harvesting (31.7% vs. 39.7%). Also, there was a
significant relation between the level of anxiety and depression before ovulation induction and
after oocyte harvesting (P < 0.05). The anxiety level after oocyte harvesting had a positive
and significant correlation with the economic situation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study
revealed that the process of assisted reproductive treatment does not affect the mental health
in fertile women independently, but these women start assisted reproductive process with
high levels of depression and anxiety. Therefore, prior to the assisted reproductive treatment
mental health consultation is needed.
Keywords
Infertility. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins;2011;1137:1374‑137.
2. Yildizhan R, Adali E, Kolusari A, Kurdoglu M, Yildizhan B, Sahin G.
Domestic violence against infertile women in a Turkish setting. Int
J Gynaecol Obstet 2009;104:110‑2.
3. Noorbala AA, Ramezanzadeh F, Abedinia N, Naghizadeh MM. Psychiatric disorders among infertile and fertile women. Soc
Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2009;44:587‑91.
4. Rostad B, Schmidt L, Sundby J, Schei B. Infertility experience
and health differentials‑A population‑based comparative study on
infertile and non‑infertile women (the HUNT Study). Acta Obstet
Gynecol Scand 2014;93:757‑64.
5. Valsangkar S, Bodhare T, Bele S, Sai S. An evaluation of the effect
of infertility on marital, sexual satisfaction indices and health‑related
quality of life in women. J Hum Reprod Sci 2011;4:80‑5.
6. El Kissi Y, Romdhane AB, Hidar S, Bannour S, Ayoubi Idrissi K,
Khairi H, et al. General psychopathology, anxiety, depression
and self‑esteem in couples undergoing infertility treatment: A
comparative study between men and women. Eur J Obstet Gynecol
Reprod Biol 2013;167:185‑9.
7. Klonoff‑Cohen H, Chu E, Natarajan L, Sieber W. A prospective
study of stress among women undergoing in vitro fertilization or
gamete intrafallopian transfer. Fertil Steril 2001;76:675‑87.
8. Ramezanzadeh F, Aghssa MM, Abedinia N, Zayeri F, Khanafshar N,
Shariat M, et al. A survey of relationship between anxiety,
depression and duration of infertility. BMC Womens Health 2004;4:9.
9. Herbert DL, Lucke JC, Dobson AJ. Depression: An emotional
obstacle to seeking medical advice for infertility. Fertil Steril
2010;94:1817‑21.
10. Hasanpoor‑Azghdy SB, Simbar M, Vedadhir A. The
emotional‑psychological consequences of infertility among infertile
women seeking treatment: Results of a qualitative study. Iran J
Reprod Med 2014;12:131‑8.
11. Craig J. The general health questionnaire. Oxf J Med Health Occup
Med 2007;57:79. Available from: http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/
content/57/1/79.full.pdf. [Last accessed on 2014 Nov 20].
12. Brod M1, Verhaak CM, Wiebinga CJ, Gerris J, Hoomans EH.
Improving clinical understanding of the effect of ovarian stimulation
on women’s lives. Reprod Biomed Online 2009;18:391‑400.
13. Berg BJ. Wilson JF. Weingartne PJ. Psychological sequelae of
infertility treatment: The role of gender and sex‑role identification.
Social Science and Medicine, Soc Sci Med 1991;33:1071‑80.
14. Greil AL, Slauson‑Blevins K, Mc Quillan J. The experience
of infertility: A review of recent literature. Sociol Health Illn
2010;32:140‑62.
15. Dyer S, Lombard C, Van der Spuy Z. Psychological distress among
men suffering from couple infertility in South Africa: A quantitative
assessment. Hum Reprod 2009;24:2821‑26.
16. Grigorova M, Sherwin BB, Tulandi T. Effects of treatment with
leuprolide acetate depot on working memory and executive functions
in young premenopausal women. Psychoneuroendocrinology
2006;31:935‑47
17. Smeenk JM, Verhaak CM, Eugster A, van Minnen A, Zielhuis GA,
Braat DD. The effect of anxiety and depression on the outcome of
in‑vitro fertilization. Hum Reprod 2001;16:1420‑23.
18. Peterson BD, Sejbaek CS, Pirritano M, Schmidt L. Are severe
depressive symptoms associated with infertility‑related distress in
individuals and their partners? Hum Reprod 2014;29:76‑82.
19. Ozkan M, Baysal B. Emotional distress of infertile women in Turkey.
Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 2006;33:44‑46.
)