TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of infertility and infertility treatments on quality of life and levels of anxiety and depression in women undergoing in vitro fertilization
AU - Massarotti, Claudia
AU - Gentile, Giulia
AU - Ferreccio, Chiara
AU - Scaruffi, Paola
AU - Remorgida, Valentino
AU - Anserini, Paola
PY - 2019/6/3
Y1 - 2019/6/3
N2 - This study aims to evaluate levels of anxiety and depression in women, correlated with infertility per se and with infertility treatments, highlighting predictors of higher levels of distress. Two validated standardized questionnaires, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL), were administered to 89 women both before their first cycle of infertility treatment and again at the end of the ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women's levels of anxiety were significantly higher before the treatment than during the treatment itself. Stratifying the women in three groups based on principal cause of infertility (male infertility, female infertility, or both male and female), we found significantly higher levels of anxiety and general distress in patients under treatment for female infertility. Higher anxiety levels in our sample before the treatment are probably an effect of not knowing what they are expected to do to solve their problem. Moreover, when the cause of infertility is exclusively female, women experience higher levels of anxiety and general distress both before and during the treatment, probably correlated to a sense of guilt. These data help the treating physician to better counsel patients and to provide a more focused psychological support.
AB - This study aims to evaluate levels of anxiety and depression in women, correlated with infertility per se and with infertility treatments, highlighting predictors of higher levels of distress. Two validated standardized questionnaires, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL), were administered to 89 women both before their first cycle of infertility treatment and again at the end of the ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women's levels of anxiety were significantly higher before the treatment than during the treatment itself. Stratifying the women in three groups based on principal cause of infertility (male infertility, female infertility, or both male and female), we found significantly higher levels of anxiety and general distress in patients under treatment for female infertility. Higher anxiety levels in our sample before the treatment are probably an effect of not knowing what they are expected to do to solve their problem. Moreover, when the cause of infertility is exclusively female, women experience higher levels of anxiety and general distress both before and during the treatment, probably correlated to a sense of guilt. These data help the treating physician to better counsel patients and to provide a more focused psychological support.
KW - anxiety
KW - FertiQoL
KW - HADS
KW - in vitro fertilization
KW - Infertility
KW - quality of life
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U2 - 10.1080/09513590.2018.1540575
DO - 10.1080/09513590.2018.1540575
M3 - Article
C2 - 30612477
AN - SCOPUS:85059692524
VL - 35
SP - 485
EP - 489
JO - Gynecological Endocrinology
JF - Gynecological Endocrinology
SN - 0951-3590
IS - 6
ER -