IMPACT OF INFERTILITY-RELATED STRESS AND FAMILY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT ON MARITAL SATISFACTION OF INFERTILE INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

Although infertility is a medical problem, however, the phenomenon is widely researched. With each passing day, infertile individuals undergo various personal and social challenges. Particularly, family pressure to carry on the progeny creates an unmounted pressure which ultimately affects their marital union. These factors altogether create an unprecedented scenario for their marital life. Considering this, the present research aimed to assess how family and social support could help in reducing the mounting infertility-related stress. Infertile individuals were approached at their offices, homes, as well as at infertility centres in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Attock using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The participants were invited to complete a set of questionnaires including Fertility Problem Inventory, ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Hypotheses testing revealed non-significant association of family and social support with both infertility-related stress and marital satisfaction. However, family support (subscale) had positive association with infertility-related stress and negative association with marital satisfaction. Similarly, marital union of married individuals was negatively affected by stress due to infertility. However, infertility-related stress accounted for 7% variance in marital satisfaction. The study further found non-significant moderating role of family and social support between infertility-related stress and marital satisfaction. These results provided a baseline for future studies in Pakistan, in exploration of indigenous protective factors against marital dissatisfaction among infertile individuals. The present study further highlighted the importance and appropriateness of family support for childless individual. From the current study, the conclusion can be drawn that the family members (specifically in collectivistic cultures) should be consciously careful regarding their involvement in the intimate affairs (such as infertility) of the married individuals which otherwise could have detrimental effects instead of positive impacts on infertile individuals.