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Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Women's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 11692

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Epidemiological data show that human reproductive disorders are a common problem worldwide, because they concern almost every fifth couple of reproductive age. Therefore, infertility has been considered by the World Health Organization as a social disease, which constitutes a great problem from the aspect of public health. Reproductive problems may be a crisis situation in which women experience a high level of stress and emotional disorders. Women who have difficulty conceiving are exposed twice as much to emotional disorders as those who are fertile. To-date attempts to isolate single cause-effect relationships between stress and infertility have been unsuccessful due to their multidimensional etiology. An attempt to solve this problem will be undertaken in the Special Issue: ‘Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility’. I would therefore appreciate it if you would consider contributing a suitable article for publication.

Prof. Dr. Artur Wdowiak
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • infertility
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • distress
  • psychosocial factors
  • quality of life

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 359 KiB  
Article
Types and Characteristics of Stress Coping in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment in Korea
by Yumi Choi and So-Hyun Moon
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2648; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20032648 - 01 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1139
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and predictors of types of stress coping in women undergoing infertility treatment. The cross-sectional study included 120 women who were receiving infertility treatment at infertility hospitals. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure. K-means [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and predictors of types of stress coping in women undergoing infertility treatment. The cross-sectional study included 120 women who were receiving infertility treatment at infertility hospitals. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure. K-means cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine the characteristics and predictors of stress-coping types. Out of all the women undergoing infertility treatment who completed a self-report survey, 30.8% had a weak mixed coping type, 35.9% had a strong mixed coping type, and 33.3% had a passive coping type. The strong mixed treatment type was compared to weak mixed treatment type, with the following results: infertility adaptation (OR = 17.71, p < 0.000), spousal support (OR = 4.50, p = 0.021), infertility counseling experience (OR = 7.14, p = 0.010). Comparing the strong mixed coping type with the passive coping type, resilience (OR = 9.11, p < 0.000) was shown. It is necessary to strengthen resilience and provide a receptive attitude and spousal support to women undergoing infertility adaptation to help them relieve stress and develop functional coping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility)
16 pages, 881 KiB  
Article
The Resilience Scale in Portuguese Adults under Assisted Reproductive Techniques
by Joana Romeiro, Paulo Nogueira, Jenny Hall and Sílvia Caldeira
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5932; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19105932 - 13 May 2022
Viewed by 1212
Abstract
Assessing resilience response to an adverse event such as infertility requires measuring the same construct adequately and accurately by nurses. The objective of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Resilience Scale for adults. A [...] Read more.
Assessing resilience response to an adverse event such as infertility requires measuring the same construct adequately and accurately by nurses. The objective of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Resilience Scale for adults. A cross-sectional and methodological design was used, and factor analyses were performed. The sample comprised 140 adult Portuguese individuals under fertility treatment recruited from health-related websites. The findings yielded a bad fit of the hypothesized Resilience Scale structure with the observed data. Instead, a 21-item tool with a four-factor structure revealed high internal consistency (0.94). The tool correlated positively and significantly to the Portuguese version of the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire and was negatively associated and lacked correlation with the Fertility Adjustment Scale. The 21-item Resilience Scale is a reliable tool suitable to measure resilience in Portuguese adults under assisted reproductive techniques. This tool offers the opportunity of early recognition by health professionals aiming to enhance patients’ coping skills effectively and promote positive psychological and mental health outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility)
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10 pages, 605 KiB  
Article
Impact of Stress and Financials on Romanian Infertile Women Accessing Assisted Reproductive Treatment
by Roxana Margan, Madalin-Marius Margan, Corneluta Fira-Mladinescu, Salomeia Putnoky, Ioana Tuta-Sas, Radu Bagiu, Zoran Laurentiu Popa, Elena Bernad, Ioana Mihaela Ciuca, Felix Bratosin, Oana Codruta Miloicov-Bacean, Brigitha Vlaicu and Amadeus Dobrescu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3256; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063256 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2592
Abstract
Around 20% of couples worldwide are affected by infertility issues, with numbers in the European Union reaching as high as 25%, while access to reproductive care varies significantly by geopolitical and country-specific variables. The purpose of this research is to shed light on [...] Read more.
Around 20% of couples worldwide are affected by infertility issues, with numbers in the European Union reaching as high as 25%, while access to reproductive care varies significantly by geopolitical and country-specific variables. The purpose of this research is to shed light on the unique social, psychological, and financial difficulties faced by Romanian couples seeking access to assisted reproductive therapy (ART). A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2017 and 2019 to involve women who accessed ART at fertility clinics in Romania by completing two infertility surveys. We analyzed the data in terms of all facets of infertility and ART, including the effect of personal background and stress levels on succeeding to conceive, the impact of treatment costs, and household income. A total of 829 participants completed the survey. We observed that high stress exposure leads to a substantially higher duration to conceive using ART, although the proportions of successful pregnancies did not differ between low-stress and high-stress groups. A significantly higher number of couples achieved pregnancy when their monthly household income was higher than EUR 1000 and if the ART method was more expensive. Additionally, we observed that advanced age, high stress levels, and the high cost of ART had a negative association with achieving pregnancy using ART. The findings indicated that Romanian couples experiencing infertility must contend with significant expenses for specialist infertility treatments, as well as treatment-related stress, both of which have a detrimental effect on their odds of attaining conception. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility)
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13 pages, 1186 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Quality of Life in Men Treated for Infertility in Poland
by Marta Makara-Studzińska, Agnieszka Limanin, Agnieszka Anusiewicz, Paula Janczyk, Dorota Raczkiewicz, Anita Wdowiak-Filip, Michał Filip, Iwona Bojar, Krzysztof Lukaszuk and Artur Wdowiak
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2950; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19052950 - 03 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2222
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) of men treated for infertility in Poland. This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF), Fertility Quality of Life tool (FertiQoL) and [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) of men treated for infertility in Poland. This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF), Fertility Quality of Life tool (FertiQoL) and an author-constructed questionnaire. The study included 1200 men treated for infertility without the use of assisted reproductive technology (non-ART), intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). The control group consisted of 100 healthy men with confirmed fertility. The quality of life assessed by the WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire was significantly lower in study groups in the Environmental domain, compared to the control group (p = 0.009). Statistically significant differences were found in the case of FertiQoL subscales: Emotional, Mind-Body, Relational, and Treatment Environment, depending on applied treatment. Men whose partners were treated without the use of ART assessed their QoL significantly more negatively than those treated with IUI. Reproductive problems and type of their treatment influenced the quality of life of the affected men. Non-ART treatment, rural place of residence, and increased BMI were associated with lower QoL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility)
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Review

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13 pages, 845 KiB  
Review
Psychosocial Aspects of Gestational Grief in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment: A Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence
by Michelle Herminia Mesquita de Castro, Carolina Rodrigues Mendonça, Matias Noll, Fernanda Sardinha de Abreu Tacon and Waldemar Naves do Amaral
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13143; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182413143 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3509
Abstract
Women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment without being able to become pregnant, and experiencing pregnancy loss after assisted reproduction, are triggering factors for prolonged grief and mourning. This review aims to investigate the psychosocial aspects of gestational grief among women who have undergone infertility [...] Read more.
Women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment without being able to become pregnant, and experiencing pregnancy loss after assisted reproduction, are triggering factors for prolonged grief and mourning. This review aims to investigate the psychosocial aspects of gestational grief among women who have undergone infertility treatment. We searched the databases of MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Lilacs for works published up to 5 March 2021. The outcomes analyzed were negative and positive psychosocial responses to gestational grief among women suffering from infertility and undergoing assisted human reproduction treatment. Eleven studies were included, which yielded 316 women experiencing infertility who were undergoing treatment. The most frequently reported negative psychosocial manifestations of grief response were depression (6/11, 54.5%), despair or loss of hope/guilt/anger (5/11, 45.5%), anxiety (4/11, 36.4%), frustration (3/11, 27.3%), and anguish/shock/suicidal thoughts/isolation (2/11, 18.2%). Positive psychosocial manifestations included the hope of becoming pregnant (4/6, 66.6%) and acceptance of infertility after attempting infertility treatment (2/6, 33.3%). We identified several negative and positive psychosocial responses to gestational grief in women experiencing infertility. Psychological support before, during, and after assisted human reproduction treatment is crucial for the management of psychosocial aspects that characterize the grief process of women experiencing infertility who become pregnant and who lose their pregnancy. Our results may help raise awareness of the area of grief among infertile women and promote policy development for the mental health of bereaved women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Causes and Psychological Impact of Infertility)
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