Investigating the Multiple Aspects of Mental Health in Infertile Women

Excerpt

Infertility can cause significant mental health issues and stressful experiences with lasting trauma (Gibson and Myers 2000; Kaplan et al. 1998). Infertility is a key component of disrupted familial relationships, separation, divorce, lowered self-confidence, and feelings of social isolation among those who are affected (Karahasanoglu et al. 1972). Approximately 12–20 % of couples are infertile, with 40 % of heterosexual couples with female infertility, 40 % male infertility, and 20 % infertility for both genders (Khosravi 2001). Moreover, 12 % of women experience secondary infertility, due to conditions preceding a first childbirth. Secondary fertility has contributed to the increase in the number of women suffered from infertility compared to men (Upkong and Orji 2006). The rate of infertility increases with age (Shaker et al. 2006). More than 50 % of women lose self-confidence upon discovering their infertility, thus adding to mental health issues (Trantham 1996). Other factors include employment/economic condition, stress, relatives and friends’ attitude toward infertility, loneliness, and the low rate of success in infertility treatments (Lawrence et al. 2009). Research findings suggest that infertile women are often more stressed and have higher rates of depression than fertile women (Tamanaeifar 2011; Najmi et al. 2001), with an estimated 25–60 % prevalence of mental problems in infertile couples (Shariati et al. 2002; Behjati et al. 2010). The prevalence of mental disorders is higher among infertile couples in Iran compared to any Western countries, possibly due to the importance of child bearing in Iran (Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi et al. 2012). Infertility-induced stress and anxiety directly affects physiological functioning, which can further aggravate infertility (Selgi et al. 2009). Mental stability and health, on the contrary, can increase fertility (Jamilian et al. 2012). Therefore, infertility-induced mental problems lead to tension between couple, potentially leading to separation and divorce. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between infertility and mental disorders …