Resilience of infertile families undergoing in vitro fertilization: An application of the double ABC-X model.

BACKGROUND: Family resilience plays a crucial role in protecting the mental health and family stability of infertile patients. However, information associated with infertile families resilience is scarce. The double ABC-X model provides a roadmap for this, helps organize knowledge, and lays the foundation for knowledge development. AIMS: To describe the current situation of family resilience of infertile women, and to test the predictive theoretical model of family resilience based on infertility stigma, individual resilience, coping style, and posttraumatic growth. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 372 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization were recruited between April and August 2020. The Chinese-Family Resilience Assessment Scale, Infertility Stigma Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Chinese version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Chinese version of Post Traumatic Growth Inventory were used to measure family resilience, infertility stigma, individual resilience, coping style, and posttraumatic growth. Structural equation models were used to analyze the relationship among these variables. RESULTS: The results showed that family resilience was related to infertility stigma, positive coping, and individual resilience. Moreover, the path analysis indicated that positive coping and individual resilience mediated the effects of infertility stigma on family resilience. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of stigma among infertile women should be identified. Interventions for targeting positive coping and individual resilience might ultimately increase their family resilience.

Sexual Function, Self-Esteem, and Quality of Life in Infertile Couples Undergoing in vitro Fertilization: A Dyadic Approach.

Purpose: Infertility has adverse effects on the quality of life (QoL) of infertile couples. Previous studies found important associations between sexual function, self-esteem and QoL, but mainly focused on one individual's approach rather than both partners. This study adopted a dyadic approach to evaluate the relationship between sexual function and QoL in couples with infertility through mediation and improving self-esteem. Patients and Methods: Between October 2020 and January 2021, 428 couples with infertility (n=856) undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at a tertiary hospital in Hefei, China, were registered for the current descriptive cross-sectional research. The dyads' sociodemographic and clinical features, as well as their sexual function, self-esteem, and QoL were evaluated. The Fertility quality of life scale (FertiQoL), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) were used to evaluate the participants. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was utilized to examine data from the dyadic relationships. Results: According to the APIMeM analysis, sexual function of individuals with infertility was directly and indirectly connected with their QoL, mediated through their self-esteem. The women's sexual function was found to be positively associated with their partner's QoL, with the women's self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. The men's sexual function was found to be positively associated with partner's QoL, with the men's self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. Conclusion: The findings suggest that boosting participants' self-esteem can help them and their partners have a better QoL. Also, therapies aimed at improving and sustaining self-esteem of couples with infertility could help mitigate the negative influence of low sexual function on their QoL.