Psychosocial Predictors of Infertility Related Stress: A Review

Gourounti, Kleanthi; Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Vaslamatzis, Grigoris

doi:10.2174/157340410793362159

Cited by 35 publications

(41 citation statements)

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“…Women's and men's spirituality had both direct and indirect positive effects on their own quality of life. The direct positive effect found in this study was consistent with a growing body of evidence that spirituality is associated with higher quality of life in women and men with chronic conditions (Czekierda et al, ; Mishra et al, ), and in infertility, also a chronic condition (Gourounti, Anagnostopoulos, & Vaslamatzis, ). In a recent study of infertile couples (Volmer et al, ), a similar beneficial effect of meaning‐based coping strategies on quality of life in women was found, although the same effect was not found in men.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Spirituality, infertility‐related stress, and quality of life in Brazilian infertile couples: Analysis using the actor‐partner interdependence mediation model

Casu

Ulivi

Zaia

et al. 2018

Research in Nursing & Health

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Infertility has a stressful impact on both partners, with adverse effects on the quality of life of infertile couples. Spirituality is a meaning-based strategy that can protect couples against infertility's negative impact on quality of life, but analysis of this mediator relationship in infertile couples has not been reported. We adopted a dyadic approach and used the actor-partner interdependence mediation model to examine whether and how women's and men's spirituality was associated with their own and their partners' infertility-related stress and quality of life. In 2014, 152 infertile couples starting their first fertility treatment at a private clinic in Brazil were recruited and completed self-reports of spirituality, infertility-related stress, and quality of life. Results indicated that women's and men's level of spirituality was positively associated with their own quality of life directly and indirectly, by reducing their own infertility-related stress. Their spirituality was associated with an increase in their partners' quality of life only indirectly, by reducing their partners' infertility-related stress. Findings highlight the importance of assessing and promoting spirituality as a coping resource that infertile women and men might use to deal with the stress of infertility and reduce its adverse effects on quality of life.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Spirituality, infertility‐related stress, and quality of life in Brazilian infertile couples: Analysis using the actor‐partner interdependence mediation model

Casu

Ulivi

Zaia

et al. 2018

Research in Nursing & Health

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“…Several factors may influence emotional reactions to infertility and fertility treatment, including sociodemographic factors and psychosocial factors, such as coping strategies (e.g., avoidance coping) (Benyamini, Gozlam, & Kokia, 2009, Gourounti, Anagnostopoulos, & Vaslamatzis, 2010a, Mahajan et al, 2009, van den Broeck et al, 2010. A review of this issue (Gourounti, Anagnostopoulos, & Vaslamatzis, 2010b) suggested that the role of psychological factors in relation to infertility stress has not been adequately investigated. Only a few studies have explored the relation of alexithymia to infertility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia and fertility-related stress

Gourounti

Anagnostopoulos

Griva³

et al. 2015

Women & Health

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The investigation of the relationship between alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe feelings and the absence of fantasies, and fertility-related distress is a relatively neglected area of research. The aims of this study were to examine: (1) the prevalence of alexithymia in a sample of infertile women, and (2) the association between alexithymia, coping strategies, and fertility-related stress. This study included 160 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization in a public fertility clinic from September of 2013 to December of 2013. Self-report instruments were used to measure alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20), coping (COPE), and fertility-related stress (Fertility Problem Inventory). Bivariate and multiple linear regression were used. A high alexithymia score was positively associated with age, infertility duration, and low educational and economic level. Multivariate analyses showed that, controlling for demographic factors, high avoidance coping, low problem-appraisal coping, and high alexithymia were positively associated with fertility-related stress (β = 0.309, p < .001, β = -0.203, p = .006, β = 0.151, p = .050, respectively). Results of this study indicated that alexithymia during fertility treatment was associated with maladaptive coping strategies and psychological stress. In addition, the association between alexithymia and duration of infertility may be interpreted as secondary alexithymia acts as a coping strategy in infertile women.

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“…Alexithymia can also be seen as a tendency to experience psychological distress in the form of somatic symptoms (Kuševi & Maruši 2014). Confirmation of this presumption already came from a study in which alexithymia and fertility-related stress, were positively associated (Gourounti et al 2010). In addition, infertile women showed significantly higher rates of alexithymia than fertile women (Lamas et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Although previous studies have shown that various sociodemographic and psychosocial factors may influence emotional reactions to infertility and fertility treatment (Rockliff et al 2014, Schneider & Forthofer 2005, the role of psychological factors in this context has not been adequately explored (Gourounti 2010). In vitro fertilization (IVF) is usually stressful for patients (Rockliff et al 2014, Haimovici 2018, as infertility is a psychological trauma for most couples (Klonoff-Cohen et al 2001) and it can even be described as the most stressful event in a couple's life (Freeman 1985) or currently unsolvable problem that hinders important life goals (Covington & Burns 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia and Psychological Distress Among Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization

Vukelić

Kušević

Horvatić³

2019

Psychiat Danub

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Background:The aim of the current study was to analyze the relationship between alexithymia, anxiety, physical problems, trauma, and psychological distress in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.Subjects and methods: The study was based on 78 women (mean age = 34.4 ys) who were referred to a fertility treatment with in vitro fertilization. The questionnaires (socio-demographic questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation -Outcome Measure) were administered by the investigators.Results: Our results suggest that alexithymia was significantly correlated to anxiety (r=0.506, p=0.00), depression (r=0.591, p=0.00), physical problems (r=0.477, p=0.00), trauma (r=0.512, p=0.00), and psychological distress (r=0.598, p=0.00). Furthermore, high alexithymia group showed significantly higher levels of anxiety (F=4.65, p=0.00), depression (F=2.30, p=0.00), trauma (F=1.80, p=0.00) and general psychological distress (F=2.85, p=0.04) than the low alexithymia group.Conclusions: Results of the present study point out that alexithymia could be considered a potential risk factor for high levels of anxiety, depression and general psychological distress. It may also be used as an indicator of a need for further psychological support aimed at women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

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Psychosocial Predictors of Infertility Related Stress: A Review

Cited by 35 publications

References 0 publications

Spirituality, infertility‐related stress, and quality of life in Brazilian infertile couples: Analysis using the actor‐partner interdependence mediation model

Spirituality, infertility‐related stress, and quality of life in Brazilian infertile couples: Analysis using the actor‐partner interdependence mediation model

Alexithymia and fertility-related stress

Alexithymia and Psychological Distress Among Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization

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