The effect of depression and the reframing strategy on the level of satisfaction with family life in infertile and post-miscarriage couples: dyadic analyzes

Abstract

Introduction: Couples struggling with infertility, as well as those after experiencing a miscarriage, deal with many types of stressors, in the face of which they react with anxiety, regret and depression, which negatively affects fertility and is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. The use of different coping strategies seems to have different effects on the stress of infertility and miscarriage experiences. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between depression related to infertility and miscarriage and satisfaction with family life, as well as the role of using the reframing in predicting family life satisfaction in the group of depressive infertile couples and after miscarriage.
 Methods: The study involved 90 couples: 50 couples after miscarriage and 40 couples diagnosed with infertility. The participants completed a questionnaire examining the level of depressiveness (Giessen Test), coping strategies in the family (F-copes) and the family assessment scale (Flexibility and Cohesion Evaluation Scales; SOR). The actor partner interdependence model was used for data analysis.
 Results: The findings showed that the level of partner depressiveness in both infertile and post-miscarriage couples predicted lower satisfaction with family life in women and men, while husband depressiveness was significant for women's family life satisfaction, but not the other way around. The reframing strategy by partners in both studied groups significantly weakened the relationship between partners’ depressiveness and the level of satisfaction with life.
 Conclusions: Stress is one of the most important risk factors influencing the results of infertility treatment and spontaneous miscarriage, therefore it is important to identify all factors related to depression symptoms and life satisfaction of infertile and post-miscarriage couples.