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Psychosocial Consequences of Infertility and Treatment

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Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Abstract

Infertility, besides being a medical condition, is a social situation. Infertility is a low-control, chronic stressor with severe long-lasting negative social and psychological consequences. Achieving a pregnancy/delivery after assisted reproduction technology treatment is associated with increased mental well-being. Treatment failure is associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression during the treatment period and after end of treatment. It is still unclear whether depression and/or fertility problem stress is related to treatment outcome. Some infertile couples experience marital benefit, i.e., that the infertility brings the partner closer together and strengthens their marriage. Appraisal-oriented coping strategies including emotional coping are predictors of lower fertility problem stress. Long-term studies among involuntary childless women in previous unsuccessful treatment show that although most adjusted well psychologically the childlessness was a major life theme. Fertility patients are, in general, satisfied with fertility treatment. However, the satisfaction ratings are in general higher with the medical care than with the patient-centered care. Fertility patients express a need for oral and written information about treatment as well as psychosocial consequences of infertility and for improvements in patient-centered care and access to professional psychosocial services if needed. Drop-out rates of treatment are high and are mostly related to the psychological burden. In order to decrease drop-out rates, and hence increase delivery rates after fertility treatment, it is important to further develop user friendly treatment programs.

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  1. Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, 5 Øster Farimagsgade, 2099, Copenhagen, DK-1014, Denmark

    Lone Schmidt

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  1. School of Medicine, University of Utah, Arapeen Dr. 675, Salt Lake City, 84108, USA

    Douglas T. Carrell

  2. School of Medicine, University of Utah, North Medical Drive 50, Salt Lake City, 84132, USA

    C. Matthew Peterson

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Schmidt, L. (2010). Psychosocial Consequences of Infertility and Treatment. In: Carrell, D., Peterson, C. (eds) Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1436-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1436-1_7

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