A longitudinal, prospective study on emotional adjustment before, during and after consecutive fertility treatment cycles

TLDR

The study investigates how anxiety, depression, personality, meaning of fertility problems, coping, marital relationship, and social support evolve from pre‑treatment to six months after IVF. The authors followed 148 IVF patients and 71 partners, collecting self‑report questionnaires on anxiety, depression, personality, meaning, coping, marital relationship, and social support at baseline, post‑treatment, and six‑month follow‑up. Women experienced heightened anxiety and depression after unsuccessful IVF that persisted for six months, while successful treatment reduced symptoms; men showed no change, and over 20 % of women had subclinical anxiety/depression at follow‑up, with personality traits, perceived meaning of fertility problems, and social support predicting emotional trajectories and enabling early identification of those at risk for tailored interventions.

Abstract

A longitudinal study into the course of the emotional response to IVF from pre-treatment to 6 months post-treatment and factors that contributed to that course.A total of 148 IVF patients and 71 partners completed self-report questionnaires on anxiety, depression, personality characteristics, meaning of fertility problems, coping, marital relationship and social support at pre-treatment. Assessments of anxiety and depression were repeated immediately following the final treatment cycle and again 6 months later (follow-up).Women showed an increase of both anxiety and depression after unsuccessful treatment and a decrease after successful treatment. Men showed no change in anxiety and depression either after successful or after unsuccessful treatment. In the 6 months after unsuccessful treatment, women showed no recovery. At follow-up, >20% of the women showed subclinical forms of anxiety and/or depression. Personality characteristics, meaning of the fertility problems, and social support determined the course of the emotional response.Most women adjusted well to unsuccessful treatment, but at follow-up, a considerable proportion still showed substantial emotional problems. Personality characteristics, pre-treatment meaning of the fertility problems and social support have demonstrated the adjustment to unsuccessful IVF in women. This allows early identification of women at risk as well as tailored interventions.