Infertility-Related Stress and Psychological Health Outcomes in Infertile Couples Undergoing Medical Treatments: Testing a Multi-dimensional Model.

Abstract

The study aims to propose and test a multi-dimensional infertility-related stress model including socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics, infertility-related stress dimensions, coping strategies and couple's dyadic adjustment dimensions as predictors of anxiety and depression among partners of couples undergoing infertility treatments. Both members of 250 infertile couples filled out a questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographics (Age; Educational level; Employment status), Fertility-related characteristics (Type of diagnosis; Duration of infertility), Fertility Problem Inventory-Short Form, Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced-New Italian Version, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y and Edinburgh Depression Scale. Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regressions indicated that the proposed predictive models for anxiety and depression were significant and had good levels of fit with the data. Gender differences emerged in predictor variables. Findings provide valid predictive models that could be adopted to assess psychological health in infertile patients and to develop evidence-based and tailored counselling interventions at centres for assisted reproduction.