Effects of Infertility Stress, Psychological Symptoms, and Quality of Life on Predicting Success Rate of IVF/ICSI Treatment in Infertile Women

Objective: In any society, attention to physical, mental, social, and cultural health status as well as spiritual interests and providing opportunities for realization of a dynamic and healthy life is considered as the guarantee for the community health in the coming years. One of the issues that troubles the mental health of some people is infertility. In this regard, this study aims to determine the effects of infertility stress, mental symptoms, and quality of life of infertile women on predicting success rate of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.  Methods: The present study employs correlational methodology. The study population comprised all women referred to Royan Infertility Institute, Tehran, Iran. The study sampling was purposeful and included 79 infertile women. Assessment tools used in this study were as follows: depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS-s), brief symptom inventory (BSI), fertility quality of life questionnaire (FertiQol), Newton infertility stress questionnaire, and demographic questionnaire. For statistical analysis, we used test correlation coefficients of data, multiple regression analysis, and logistic regression. Results: Nagelkerke squared correlation coefficient was equal to 0.253, i.e., the predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress, brief symptom, quality of life, infertility and infertility stress, all together can explain 25% of the variance of the dependent variable – success of ICSI / IVF treatment. Conclusion: When couples are waiting for the result of their treatments, infertile women start mental rumination and experience a variety of negative emotional experiences. These negative responses which entail cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of individual’s psychological world, suppress the healing process and are underlying factors for physical vulnerability of infertile person against psychological pressures. Subsequently, this physical vulnerability influences outcomes of assisted reproductive technology.