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Comparison of multiple psychological distress measures between men and women preparing for in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 2011 Feb;95(2):717-21

Date

11/12/2010

Pubmed ID

21067728

DOI

10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.09.043

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-78751590904 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   83 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare multiple measures of psychological distress between men and women preparing for IVF.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: Outpatient, academic infertility clinic.

PATIENT(S): One hundred sixty-two consecutive couples presenting for infertility treatment with IVF.

INTERVENTION(S): Measures were completed as part of a routine, infertility-focused psychological evaluation, including the Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anger Inventory, and Impact of Events Scale.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Scores of above psychological questionnaires.

RESULT(S): Psychological distress scores were statistically significantly higher among women than men for symptoms of depression, state anxiety, infertility specific distress, and general perceived stress. However, aside from infertility-specific distress (d = .43), effect sizes for the paired differences between females and males ranged from d = .18 to .23.

CONCLUSION(S): Women consistently scored higher on multiple measures of psychological distress than their male partners in the context of preparing for IVF. Comparison of infertility-specific distress scores yielded the largest statistically and clinically significant difference compared with traditional measures of general depression and anxiety symptoms.

Author List

Wichman CL, Ehlers SL, Wichman SE, Weaver AL, Coddington C

Author

Christina L. Wichman DO Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Cohort Studies
Family Characteristics
Female
Fertilization in Vitro
Humans
Infertility
Male
Middle Aged
Research Design
Retrospective Studies
Severity of Illness Index
Sex Characteristics
Stress, Psychological
Young Adult