Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life Among Infertile Women: A Case-Control Study

Introduction Pregnancy holds significant cultural and social value for women. However, women facing challenges in conceiving often grapple with emotional distress, including depression and anxiety. The connection between psychological elements (stress, anxiety, and depression) and infertility is com...

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Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-03, Vol.16 (3), p.e55837-e55837
Main Authors: Bahadur, Anupama, Kumari, Sukriti, Mundhra, Rajlaxmi, Khoiwal, Kavita, Das, Anindya, Heda, Ayush, Pathak, Anjali, Heda, Sakshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abortion
Age
Anxiety
Couples
Ethics
Gynecology
Infertility
Menstruation
Mental depression
Mental health
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Psychiatry
Quality of life
Social isolation
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomic status
Stress
Womens health
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Summary:Introduction Pregnancy holds significant cultural and social value for women. However, women facing challenges in conceiving often grapple with emotional distress, including depression and anxiety. The connection between psychological elements (stress, anxiety, and depression) and infertility is complex, influenced by multiple factors, and bidirectional. Infertile women are more likely to develop mental illnesses, marital dissatisfaction, and impaired quality of life compared to the individuals of the fertile group. Thus, the study aimed to assess levels of anxiety, depression, and quality of life among infertile women compared to fertile women. Methods This case-control study conducted at a tertiary care center recruited 100 nulliparous women between the age group of 20 and 38 years with primary or secondary infertility, while those with male factor infertility were excluded. The control group (N=100) comprised normal parous women who had at least one child. The primary objective of the study was to assess the impact of infertility on the mental health and quality of life of women seeking infertility treatment. Outcome measures included standardized tools such as the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire to assess the quality of life across multiple domains (e.g., physical, psychological, social, and environmental) as well as the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the tool's reliability. A P value of
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.55837