Author:
Dar Mansoor Ahmad,Shah Seema Batool,Ahmad Syed Nawaz,Shora Tajali Nazir,Kumari Pinki,Tailie Junaid Ahmad
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Infertility is a huge global problem with a significant mental health burden. Infertility could become a source of continuous stress leading to psychosocial issues including stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in these women. A cross-sectional, case-controlled study was conducted between January 2021 and November 2021 to study the effect of infertility on mental health and quality of life. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for sociodemographic and clinical variables. The Oslo Social Support Scale-3 and FertiQol were used to study social support and quality of life respectively. Psychiatric morbidity was assessed using ICD-10 symptom checklist. A total of 56 cases and 102 controls were studied.
Results
The mean age of cases and controls was 30.4 ± 3.5 years and 31.9 ± 2.9 years, respectively. Young infertile females, primary infertility, and female factor for infertility were associated with higher psychiatric morbidity. Psychiatric morbidity was seen in 46.4% of infertile women. FertiQoL score for the infertile group was 64.61 ± 5 with the lowest score in the emotional domain (45.10) and mind-body domain (54.86) (p < 0.0001). The scores in the relational domain and social domain were higher (85.2 and 73.3, respectively). The scores in the mind-body domain and emotional domain were poor among the infertile women regardless of the presence of psychiatric morbidity (48.27 vs 59.80 and 43.57 vs 46.57) (p < 0.0001–0.04).
Conclusions
Our study emphasizes the role of more qualitative instruments like FertiQoL in studying the well-being of infertile women. Even in the absence of psychiatric morbidity, the QoL score could still predict mental well-being in fertility-related issues.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health
Reference46 articles.
1. Khodakarami N, Hashemi S, Sedigh S, Hamidi M, Taheripanah R (2009) The experience of living with infertility: a phenomenological study. Fertil Infertil Q 10(4):287–289
2. World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-11). WHO, Geneva https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/classification-of-diseases. Accessed 2022 june12
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention, and Management of Infertility. Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; June 2014. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/pdf/drh_nap_final_508.pdf. Accessed 2022 sep 19.
4. Chambers GM, Dyer S, Zegers-Hochschild F, de Mouzon J, Ishihara O, Banker M, Mansour R, Kupka MS, Adamson GD (2021) International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies world report: assisted reproductive technology, 2014. Hum Reprod 36(11):2921–2934
5. Boivin J, Bunting L, Collins JA et al (2007) international estimates of infertility prevalence and treatment-seeking: potential need and demand for infertility medical care. Hum Reprod 22:1506–1512