Anxiety and Depression in Women Undergoing Fertility Treatment: A Prospective Study
Author(s): Inapakurthi Archana, Sonasree Jammulapati
Abstract: Background and Objective: Infertility
and its treatment present considerable emotional challenges for women, often
leading to elevated levels of anxiety and depression. The physical invasiveness
and uncertain outcomes associated with assisted reproductive technologies (ART)
can exacerbate psychological distress. This prospective study aimed to evaluate
the prevalence and progression of anxiety and depression in women undergoing
fertility treatment and to identify key psychosocial predictors of emotional
burden.
Material and Methods: A
prospective observational study was conducted over 12 months at a tertiary
fertility center. This study was conducted at the department of Psychiatry,
Mayo Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow-Ayodhya Road, Gadia, Uttar
Pradesh, India from July 2017 to June 2018. 60 women aged 22–40 years
undergoing fertility treatment—including ovulation induction, intrauterine
insemination (IUI), and in vitro fertilization (IVF)—were enrolled.
Psychological assessment was conducted using the Hospital Anxiety and
Depression Scale (HADS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at three
time points: Sociodemographic details, infertility duration, prior treatment
attempts, and partner support levels were documented and analyzed for
association with psychological outcomes.
Results: At
T1, 33.3% of women (n=20) exhibited moderate to severe anxiety, and 26.7%
(n=16) showed depressive symptoms. During T2, anxiety peaked, affecting 48.3%
(n=29) of patients, particularly those undergoing IVF cycles. Depression also
rose to 31.7% (n=19). By T3, women with a successful pregnancy outcome showed a
significant decline in anxiety and depression (mean HADS-A score dropped from
10.4 to 6.2; HADS-D from 9.8 to 5.7), while those with unsuccessful outcomes
had persistently elevated scores (HADS-A: 11.3; HADS-D: 10.6). Multivariate
analysis indicated that previous treatment failure, infertility duration >3
years, and lack of partner/emotional support were significant predictors of
high anxiety and depression (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Anxiety
and depression are highly prevalent among women undergoing fertility treatment,
particularly during active intervention and after unsuccessful outcomes. These
findings highlight the importance of incorporating routine mental health
screening, patient education, and counseling into fertility treatment protocols
to improve overall patient care and treatment success.
Pages: 122-125 | 51 Views | 25 Downloads
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