Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 47, Issue 2 , Pages 163-167, June 2008

Two Main Independent Predictors of Depression Among Infertile Women: An Asian Experience

  • Laya Farzadi

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Laya Farzadi, Majidi Infertility Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
  • ,
  • Aliyeh Ghasemzadeh

Majidi Infertility Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Accepted 4 October 2007.

Article Outline

Summary 

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify personal, familial or social predictors of depression in infertile women seeking treatment.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study included 193 infertile women who had been referred to an infertility center, where they were either undergoing treatment or investigative procedures. During separate interviews, questionnaires were filled out for each of the participants. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess the severity of depression.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 27.3 ± 5.6 years and the mean length of married life was 5.6 ± 5.3 years. The mean length of time for which they had been seeking infertility treatment was 4.1 ± 3.01 years. Women with Beck scores indicating that they were not depressed constituted 27.46% of the participants, while 72.54% seemed to be suffering from some degree of depression. Linear regression analysis showed that the only independent predictors of depression were the irrational parenthood cognition score and psychologic pressure exerted by relatives on the infertile couple.

Conclusion

Irrational parenthood cognitions and pressure by relatives were the two main independent predictors of depression among infertile women. [Taiwan J Obstet Cynecol 2008;47(2):1 63-1 67]

Key Words:  Beck Depression Inventory , depression , infertility , Iran

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

Back to Article Outline

References 

  1. World Health Organization  . Infertility . Geneva: World Health Organization; Aug 22, 2006;
  2. Evers JL . Female subfertility . Lancet . 2002;360:151–159
  3. Lapane KL , Zierler S , Lasater TM , Stein M , Barbour MM , Hume AL . Is a history of depressive symptoms associated with an increased risk of infertility in women? . Psychosom Med . 1995;57:509–513
  4. Whiteford LM , Gonzalez L . Stigma: the hidden burden of infertility . Soc Sci Med . 1995;40:27–36
  5. Inhorn MC , Buss KA . Ethnography, epidemiology and infertility in Egypt . Soc Sci Med . 1994;39:671–686
  6. Amanati L. Measuring quality of life in infertile women referred to Valiasr Infertility Research Center [dissertation]. Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, 2006.
  7. Brasile D , Katsoff B , Check JH . Moderate or severe depression is uncommon in women seeking infertility therapy according to the beck depression inventory . Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol . 2006;33:16–18
  8. Guz H , Ozkan A , Sarisoy G , Yanik F , Yanik A . Psychiatric symptoms in Turkish infertile women . J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol . 2003;24:267–271
  9. Beutel M , Kupfer J , Kirchmeyer P , et al.   Treatment-related stresses and depression in couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment by IVF or ICSI . Andrologia . 1999;31:27–35
  10. Bhatti LI , Fikree FF , Khan A . The quest of infertile women in squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan: a qualitative study . Soc Sci Med . 1999;49:637–649
  11. Ellison MA , Hall JE . Social stigma and compounded losses: quality-of-life issues for multiple-birth families . Fertil Steril . 2003;80:405–414
  12. Gulseren L , Cetinay P , Tokatlioglu B , Sarikaya OO , Gulseren S , Kurt S . Depression and anxiety levels in infertile Turkish women . J Reprod Med . 2006;51:421–426
  13. Lee TY , Sun GH . Psychosocial response of Chinese infertile husbands and wives . Arch Androl . 2000;45:143–148
  14. Lee TY , Sun GH , Chao SC . The effect of an infertility diagnosis on the distress, marital and sexual satisfaction between husbands and wives in Taiwan . Hum Reprod . 2001;16:1762–1767
  15. Sami N , Ali TS . Psycho-social consequences of secondary infertility in Karachi . J Pak Med Assoc . 2006;56:19–22
  16. Upkong D , Orji E . Mental health of infertile women in Nigeria . Turk Psikiyatri Derg . 2006;17:259–265 [In Turkish]
  17. Winkvist A , Akhtar HZ . God should give daughters to rich families only: attitudes towards childbearing among lowincome women in Punjab, Pakistan . Soc Sci Med . 2000;51:73–81
  18. Patel V , Kirkwood BR , Pednekar S , et al.   Gender disadvantage and reproductive health risk factors for common mental disorders in women: a community survey in India . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 2006;63:404–413
  19. Matsubayashi H , Hosaka T , Izumi S , Suzuki T , Kondo A , Makino T . Increased depression and anxiety in infertile Japanese women resulting from lack of husband's support and feelings of stress . Gen Hosp Psychiatry . 2004;26:398–404
  20. Kee BS , Jung BJ , Lee SH . A study on psychological strain in IVF patients . J Assist Reprod Genet . 2000;17:445–448
  21. Sami N , Ali TS . Health seeking behavior of couples with secondary infertility . J Coll Physicians Surg Pak . 2006;16:261–264
  22. Barden-O'Fallon J . Associates of self-reported fertility status and infertility treatment-seeking in a rural district of Malawi . Hum Reprod . 2005;20:2229–2236
  23. Donkor ES , Sandall J . The impact of perceived stigma and mediating social factors on infertility-related stress among women seeking infertility treatment in Southern Ghana . Soc Sci Med . 2007;65:1683–1694
  24. Khayata GM , Rizk DE , Hasan MY , Ghazal-Aswad S , Asaad MA . Factors influencing the quality of life of infertile women in United Arab Emirates . Int J Gynaecol Obstet . 2003;80:183–188
  25. Demyttenaere K, Bonte L, Gheldof M, Vervaeke M, Meuleman C, Vanderschuerem D, et al. Coping style and depression level influence outcome in in vitro fertilization . Fertil Steril . 1998;69:1026–1033
  26. Dhaliwal LK , Gupta KR , Gopalan S , Kulhara P . Psychological aspects of infertility due to various causes: prospective study . Int J Fertil Womens Med . 2004;49:44–48
  27. Ramezanzadeh F, Aghssa MM, Abedinia N, Zayeri F, Khanafshar N, Shariat M, et al. A survey of relationship between anxiety, depression and duration of infertility . BMC Womens Health . 2004;4:9
  28. Abbey A , Halman LJ , Andrews FM . Psychosocial, treatment, and demographic predictors of the stress associated with infertility . Fertil Steril . 1992;57:122–128
  29. Wang K , Li J , Zhang JX , Zhang L , Yu J , Jiang P . Psychological characteristics and marital quality of infertile women registered for in vitro fertilization–intracytoplasmic sperm injection in China . Fertil Steril . 2007;87:792–798
  30. Glover L , Hunter M , Richards JM , Katz M , Abel PD . Development of the fertility adjustment scale . Fertil Steril . 1999;72:623–628
  31. van Balen F , Trimbos-Kemper TC . Factors influencing the well-being of long-term infertile couples . J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol . 1994;15:157–164
  32. Fekkes M , Buitendijk SE , Verrips GH , et al.   Health-related quality of life in relation to gender and age in couples planning IVF treatment . Hum Reprod . 2003;18:1536–1543
  33. Aliyeh G , Laya F . Quality of life and its correlates among a group of infertile Iranian women . Med Sci Monit . 2007;13:CR313–CR317

PII: S1028-4559(08)60074-1

doi:10.1016/S1028-4559(08)60074-1

Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 47, Issue 2 , Pages 163-167, June 2008