Psychological Evaluation Test After the Use of Assisted Reproduction Techniques

Abstract

Purpose : The emotional changes provoked by the use of assisted reproduction techniques (ART) may trigger important psychological reactions. The objective of the present study was to develop a psychological evaluation test (PET–ART) in order to identify the occurrence of psychological problems and to facilitate their treatment.

Methods : A total of 128 women were submitted to PET–ART of the Center for Human Reproduction, “Sinhá Junqueira” Maternity Foundation, after application of IVF/ICSI program at least once. The causes of infertility were male-related in 45% of cases, female-related in 48%, and both male- and female-related in 7%. Infertility was primary in 79% of cases and secondary in 21%. The mean age of the women was 34.5 ± 5.2 years and the mean age of the men was 37.9 ± 6.8 years. The PET–ART was evaluated using a questionnaire with 15 questions selected in order to detect emotional reactions caused by infertility. The responses were assigned four grades with respect to intensity (1 = mild intensity; 2 = medium intensity; 3 = high intensity; and 4 = maximum or unbearable intensity). The sum of the responses corresponded to PET–ART score ranging from 15 to 60 points. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by the alpha coefficient of Cronbach.

Results : The PET–ART identified five questions receiving 50% or more responses of the high/maximum intensity type (sum of the percentages of responses with a score of 3 and 4). The questions were the following: 1—The waiting time before being submitted to a pregnancy test (82.8% of the patients); 2—A negative result of the pregnancy test (77.3% of the patients); 3—The degree of anxiety in a new attempt to obtain pregnancy (76.5% of the patients); 4—Finding the money necessary for the repetition of the IVF/ICSI techniques (66.4% of the patients); 5—The possibility of collecting few eggs, or of forming or not an embryo in the laboratory is an expectation that makes me anxious (57.8% of the patients). The mean PET–ART was 33 ± 6. The alpha coefficient of Cronbach was 0.757.

Conclusions : The PET–ART was an efficient tool for the identification of women with emotional changes provoked by the application of ART and for the planning of their treatment. However, a general psychological approach was developed for each emotional factor regardless of PET–ART.