The Efficacy of Well-Being Therapy for Depression in Infertile Women

Background: Infertility is a major public health problem with physical, psychological and social dimensions. High prevalence of psychological problems has been reported in infertile women. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of wellbeing therapy (WBT) for depression in infertile women who were referred to an infertility center in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: This preliminary trial was conducted at the Montasariya Infertility Center, Mashhad, Iran, between July and October 2011. A group of 22 infertile women were randomly assigned into experimental (n=11) and control groups (n=11). Patients were assessed with two self-rating inventories including the Psychological Wellbeing (PWB) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) before and after the interventions and the waiting-list period. WBT was performed in 8 to 10 sessions according to the published protocol. Results: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant difference regarding the depression scores of experimental group between pre- and post-treatment as compared to control subjects. Conclusion: The results suggested the feasibility and clinical advantages of adding WBT to repertoire of the treatment techniques for depression in infertile women.