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A preliminary investigation about the relationship between well-being and fertility status in different menstrual cycle phases

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Abstract

The present study aims at exploring whether the level of well-being vary as a function of fertility status in different phases of the ovulatory cycle. We investigated the multidimensional well-being, including the cognitive component of subjective well-being related to judgments about one’s life satisfaction, the psychological well-being concerning the full growth and self-realization of the individual, and self-esteem, that is the personal judgment of overall self-worth and is recognized as one indicator of well-being. On the basis of the cycle phase estimation at the moment of the experiment, one hundred and sixteen normally cycling women (M = 23.9 years, SD = 1.3, range: 20–30 years) were divided into “fertile” and “non-fertile” groups and were administered the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Basic Self-Esteem Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance has been performed to examine whether there were differences between groups according to their ovulatory phase. All dimensions of psychological well-being, self-esteem and satisfaction with life were found to be stable in the different phases of the menstrual cycle. The implications of these results are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20123, Milan, Italy

    Paola Iannello, Daniela Villani & Gaia Bruschi

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  1. Paola Iannello
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  2. Daniela Villani
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  3. Gaia Bruschi
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Correspondence to Paola Iannello.

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Iannello, P., Villani, D. & Bruschi, G. A preliminary investigation about the relationship between well-being and fertility status in different menstrual cycle phases. Mind Soc 15, 195–205 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11299-015-0185-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11299-015-0185-9

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