Psychotropic medication use among women seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART) therapy: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Infertility is associated with increased anxiety, depressive symptoms and mood disorders. Unfortunately, mental health is not often addressed in infertility treatment and infertile patients could be at higher risk of self-administration of not prescribed drugs or/and be exposed to alternative emotional treatments. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the use of psychotropic medication and to evaluate the frequency of psychiatric diagnosis among infertile women seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART) therapy.Methods All infertile women starting treatment at an ART clinic who agreed to participate in the study were included. Patients were submitted to a structured psychiatric interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). Current and lifetime use of psychotropic medication were assessed.Results Ninety patients who agreed to participate completed the research protocol. A total of 12/90 were on current use of psychotropic medication.Thirty-six out of ninety patients had at least one psychiatric disorder. Mood disorders were detected in 19 of the 90. Anxiety disorders were highly frequent, reaching 27/90 of the patients, as agoraphobia the most common diagnosis (12/90).Limitations The study has several limitations, such as the absence of a control group of fertile patients and strict inclusion criteria, in which only subjects that spontaneously agreed to participate were enrolled.Conclusion Women suffering from infertility seeking ART treatment are at high risk for depression and anxiety disorders and a considerable number of them are in use of medication. Its implications on infertility treatments and offspring are uncertain.