Effect of Perceived Social Support on Life Satisfaction in Infertile Women Undergoing Treatment: Mediating Role of Positive Thoughts

Background: Infertility is a prevalent issue among humans, which can lead to negative psychological consequences for couples. Objectives: This study aimed to explore how perceived social support impacts the life satisfaction of infertile women who are undergoing treatment, with positive thoughts playing a mediating role.  Methods: This study was part of a descriptive-correlational study and utilized the cross-sectional research method and structural equation modeling. The target population for this study consisted of all infertile women receiving treatment in Tehran who had sought assistance from infertility treatment centers between July and November 2023. The selected sample size included 178 medically treated infertile women chosen through purposive sampling. The assessment tools were the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Positive (ATQ-P). Descriptive statistics were conducted using SPSS software (version 27), and the path between variables was analyzed using SmartPLS software (version 4). Results: According to the results, social support had a significantly positive effect on life satisfaction (β=0.165, P=0.001). Similarly, social support had a significantly positive impact on positive thoughts (β=0.488, P 0.001). The findings also indicated that positive thoughts played a crucial role as a mediating variable in life satisfaction, showing a positive and significant effect (β=0.585, P 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of the current study indicate that social support positively affects both life satisfaction and positive thoughts. Additionally, positive thoughts, when acting as an intermediary variable, can enhance life satisfaction.