ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the role played by psychological distress in the relation between personality dimensions and pregnancy outcome of women undergoing in vitro fertilization/Intra-Cytoplasmic Injections (IVF/ICSI) treatment. Method : This prospective cohort study was conducted for 12 months on 154 infertile women who were receiving IVF/ICSI assisted reproductive treatment for the first time. Research instruments for measuring psychological distress included the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). One of these was completed prior to ovarian stimulation and the other during the embryo transfer stage. The temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R 125) was employed once to assess personality dimensions prior to the ovarian stimulation stage. Independent t-test, Mann Whitney test, Repeated Measures and path analysis were performed for statistical analysis of data. Results: The results of this study showed no significant difference between the pregnant and non-pregnant groups in personality traits (Harm avoidance and self-directness) and psychological distress (FPI and DASS scores). Repeated measures showed a significant difference in stress, anxiety, and depression levels between the two stages of ovarian stimulation and embryo transfer (P < 0.01). Path analysis showed no significant direct and indirect effect for harm avoidance on the pregnancy outcome when psychological distress was mediated. Conclusion: The effect of psychological factors on IVF outcomes is more complicated than is generally assumed and more studies are mandatory to clarify the relationship between personality traits and infertility treatments.
ABSTRACT
Background: Assisted reproductive technology treatments are stressful procedures, but there are individual differences in the emotional response to them. Differences in response to this stress may be related to the outcome of infertility treatment. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between coping strategies and infertility self-efficacy with pregnancy outcomes of women undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study and the 154 infertile women were psychologically evaluated in 2 stages: once before ovarian stimulation and again during embryo transfer. The research measurements used were the Revised COPE, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Infertility Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: There was no significant difference between the group of non-pregnant women and the positive pregnancy group in terms of coping strategies (mental rumination, self-blame, active confronting, goal replacement, avoidance) or self-efficacy in either of the 2 stages of ovarian stimulation and embryo transfer. The Mann-Whitney test did not show any statistical difference between the clinically pregnant women and the only laboratory positive pregnant group. Moreover, the self-blame and mental rumination strategies were positively related with anxiety and depression. Conversely, active confronting, goal replacement, avoidance and self-efficacy were associated with decreased depression, anxiety and stress levels. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is no relationship between coping strategies and infertility self-efficacy with in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of other psychological factors on the pregnancy outcomes of assisted reproductive treatment.
