Effect of Anxiety and Depression on the Outcome of Infertility Treatment Among Women in Sudan: a Multi Center Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Background and objectives: Infertility and its treatment have been linked to psychological distress, and many couples experience significant stress throughout treatment cycles that might affect their relationship. An Ethiopian study indicated that the incidence of infertility-related stress was 92.7% in 2022, which is concerning for couples seeking therapy as they believe that stress may have an impact on the success of their treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the psychological burden on the treatment outcome of infertility among Sudanese women in Khartoum state. Methods: The study was performed at 4 infertility treatment centers in Khartoum State. Data were collected using an interviewer-structured Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAM-A) for assessment of anxiety level and Beck's depression inventory (BDI) for depression, considering some demographic variables (age, occupation, duration of marriage, annual income, and pregnancy test results). Women who sought infertility treatment were recruited and consented to participate in the study. Results: One hundred fifty-eight participants were interviewed, majority aged between 31–35 years and 36–40 years of age, with a percentage of 27.2% and 22.2% respectively. Most of the participants (53.8%) were housewives and 85.4% of their annual income was from moderate socio-economical level. Primary infertility causes were found in 57.0% with 36.7% due to male factors, 24.1% due to female factors, only 13.3% due to combined causes, and 25.9% unexplained. No significant association was found between pregnancy tests and other women's demographics and social characteristics, except for the annual income (p = 0.046). According to BDI, severe depression was found in 13.3% and 8.2% of severe anxiety reported according to Hamilton. However, both anxiety and depression scales had no significant statistical association between pregnant and non-pregnant women (p = 0.462 and p = 0.059, respectively) Conclusion: Women who faced psychological stress in terms of anxiety or depression do not have a diminished chance to have a baby; however, further research must be done on a larger scale.