Abstract
This study aims to examine the predictive role of psycho-social factors in psychological distress among women with primary infertility and to explore the nature of mental pressures faced by these women. A sample of 200 women with primary infertility was recruited from various infertility clinics in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A demographic sheet, Urdu versions of General Health Questionnaire, Couple’s Satisfaction Index-4 (CSI-4) a Self-Report Questionnaire (SCQ) were used to assess psychological distress, marital satisfaction, personal and other family members’ desire for child, available social support, and nature of mental pressures faced by women. About 82% of these women reported distress. The standard multiple regression analysis showed that low marital satisfaction (β =-0.716; p<0.001); woman’s non-work status (β =0.183; p<.001) and high personal desire to have child (β =0.136; p=0.006) were significant predictors. Low social support from mother-in-law (β = 0.286; p<0.001) and high personal (β = -0.188; p<.01) and husband’s desire to have child (β = -0.288; p<.001) influenced marital satisfaction. Besides factors such as criticism, loneliness, inquiries made by other people, fear of husband’s second marriage, quarrelsome in-laws were reported as stressors. Women with primary infertility are at increased risk to experience psychological distress attributable to several social and cultural factors.
Highlights
Infertility is defined as “a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse” [Zegers-Hochschild, et al (2009); pg 4]
Analysis of responses showed that (N=164/200; 82%) scored above than cutoff score as assessed by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12, providing evidence that rates of general psychological distress experienced by infertile women is high
Standard multiple regression was used to answer: a) what is the size of the overall relationship between psychological distress and the independent variables i.e. sociodemographic variables and psycho-social factors, i.e., and b) how much does each independent variable uniquely contributed to that relationship? All predictor variables were entered into the regression equation at once as per rules of standard multiple regression
Summary
Infertility is defined as “a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse” [Zegers-Hochschild, et al (2009); pg 4]. It has been commonly observed that in Pakistani society, blame for not having a child is usually placed on the women This blame invites more serious problems for women like husband’s second marriage, divorce, physical and emotional harassment [Hussain (2010)].Sometimes wives who do not have children are deprived of their share in inheritance or asked to go back to their parental home without being divorced. These consequences are reported in both primary and secondary infertility cases [Sami and Ali (2006)].
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