Psychological Characteristics of Tunisian Infertile Men

Abstract

Objective: To compare psychological characteristics between controls and infertile men undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the Unit of Reproductive Medicine (UMR) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at “Farhat Hached” Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia, and controls. Study design: We conducted a case–control study of psychological profile in men with primary infertility. Recruitment was done during period from January to May 2009. A consecutive sample of 100 infertile men before fertility treatment and a control group of 100 men, who have at least one child and no known history of infertility, were constituted. Scores of general psychopathology, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem were evaluated using respectively the Symptom Check-List (SCL-90-R), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD-S), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Assessment was performed among infertile couples before starting a new infertility treatment cycle. Results: Score of psychotic symptoms (SCL-90-R) were higher among infertile men when compared to controls (.23 ± .29 vs. .11 ± .15; p < 10−3). Infertile also had higher anxiety (5.74 ± 3.65 vs. 4.14 ± 3.45; p = .002) and depression (3.65 ± 2.97 vs. 2.56 ± 2.35; p = .005) scores in HADS subscales than controls. Besides, they ranged more in cases and doubtful cases of depression and reported lower self-esteem than did controls. Conclusion: The stress associated with infertility had a negative impact on men’s psychological health. These findings emphasize the need of psychological support with medical interventions for infertility.