Impact of infertility duration and coping strategies on psychological distress among couples

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the impact of infertility duration and coping strategies on psychological distress among couples. Infertility is a multi dimensional stressor which affects the life of individuals. Parenthood is a major transition of adult life. The stress of not having a biological child had been linked to psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, stress etc. In this study DASS-21(Aslam, 2007) and Brief COPE (Akhtar, 2005) instruments were used to access psychological distress and coping strategies of individuals. Translated versions of both the instruments were used in the study. The sample comprised of 180 participants who were seeking infertility treatment. The results of the study showed that females experience more level of anxiety, stress and depression than males. Anxiety was only significantly positively correlated with infertility duration in first 6 years of infertility whereas in 7 years or above infertility duration is not significantly correlated with depression, anxiety and stress. Active avoidance coping strategies is significantly negatively correlated with psychological distress. These findings suggest that diagnosis of infertility is associated with increased psychological distress therefore on-time treatment and proper referral is essential for the psychological health of individuals.