Predictors and incidence of depression and anxiety in women undergoing infertility treatment: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The global incidence of infertility is increasing year by year, and the association between infertility and mental illness has been widely concerned. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of anxiety and depression in infertile women in China and explore the risk factors which might lead to anxiety and depression. From January 2020 to December 2020, female infertile patients who received assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment at West China Second Hospital were recruited and a total of 1712 eligible female patients were finally enrolled in this study. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to evaluate the patients’ psychological status. The reliability of all scales was evaluated by Cronbach’s α and Spearman-Brown half coefficient, and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was calculated by factor analysis to evaluate validity. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied for assessing independent risk factors of anxiety and depression, respectively. The incidence of anxiety and depression in infertile women were 25.2% and 31.3%, respectively. Cronbach’s α coefficients and Spearman-Brown half-fold coefficients of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 were 0.870, 0.825, 0.852 and 0.793, respectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that education level (junior college degree or above, OR:1. 6, 95% CI: 1.2–2.1, P = 0.003), somatic symptoms (severe somatic symptoms, OR:15.2, 95%CI: 5.6–41.3, P<0.001), sleep quality (poor sleep quality, OR:9.3, 95% CI:4.7–18.4, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for anxiety. And age>35 years old, moderate and severe somatic symptoms and poor sleep quality were independent risk factors for depression. Somatic symptoms and poor sleep quality are both the risk factors of anxiety and depression symptoms of infertile woman. And high educated (junior college degree or above) patients are more likely to be complicated with anxiety symptoms, while elderly patients (age>35) are prone to be complicated with depression symptoms.

Anxiety and Depression Symptoms among Infertile Couples Undergoing ART in Latvia: A Cross-Sectional Non-Randomized Single-Centre Study

“…Our study reveals a notable trend within our sample of infertile couples, highlighting a prevalent inclination toward higher educational attainment. This observed association aligns cohesively with findings reported in previous studies [22][23][24].…”

The moderating effect of dietary selenium intake on the risk of infertility‐associated depressive symptoms in female

“…Infertility has a profound impact on both mental and physical health, resulting in the stress and psychiatric disorders 3 . Epidemiological survey shows that the prevalence of depression in infertile women can be as high as 31% ~ 58% 4,5 . In addition, as the duration of infertility increases, the risk of depression also increases significantly 6 .…”

Epidemiologic and genetic associations of female reproductive disorders with depression or dysthymia: a Mendelian randomization study

“…Depression has been found to have associations with various female reproductive disorders. Its prevalence has been estimated to be approximately 31% in patients with PCOS 4 , ranging from 11% 5 to 27% 6 and 31.3% 7 in females with infertility, 15.6% in those with AUB 8 , 18.6% in individuals with spontaneous abortion 9 , and 27% in patients with ovarian cancer 10 . Moreover, it is noteworthy that depression presents a substantial risk element for the onset of gestational diabetes among expectant mothers, exhibiting a correlated augmented risk of 29% 11 .…”

“…This significant difference emphasizes the importance of considering the impact of depression on women's reproductive health. Previous studies primarily relied on observational studies, including case–control studies 14 , 15 and cross-sectional studies 7 , 16 and cohort studies 9 , 17 . Although these studies provided an estimate of the relationship between depression and reproductive status, the causal relationship remains unclear.…”