Emotional impact of unsuccessful infertility treatment in women.

IVF infertility anxiety depression marital relationship longitudinal prospective study. Threatening infertility: emotional response to unsuccessful fertility treatment IVF of ICSI is usually the last treatment option for couples with fertility problems. The central aim of this thesis was to investigate the emotional response to one or more unsuccessful treatment cycles. In a longitudinal study, 380 women and their partners were followed from pre treatment to six months after the last treatment cycle. The emotional response to unsuccessful treatment was considerable: an increase in anxiety and depression with about twenty to twenty five percent showing from sub clinical forms of anxiety and depression. In the six months after the last cycle, no signs of recovery could be identified. Women with high levels of neuroticism, pre treatment cognitions of helplessness, less acceptance of the fertility problems, less satisfaction with the marital relationship and less perceived social support were at risk for a more negative emotional response to unsuccessful treatment. Based on these characteristics, early identification of women at risk is possible, as is timely intervention to prevent emotional problems.