General psychopathology, anxiety, depression and self-esteem in couples undergoing infertility treatment: a comparative study between men and women
Abstract
Objective To compare measures of psychological distress between men and women undergoing ART in the Unit of Reproductive Medicine "UMR" in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at "Farhat Hached" Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia.Study design We conducted a gender comparative study of psychological profile in infertile couples. Recruitment was done during period from January to May 2009. 100 infertile couples with primary infertility were recruited. Scores of general psychopathology, depression, anxiety and self-esteem were evaluated. We administrated questionnaires on psychological factors among infertile couples before starting a new infertility treatment cycle. Psychological factors included the symptom check-list (SCL-90-R), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD-S) and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSE).Result(s) Infertile women had higher scores than their spouses in the three global scores of the SCL-90-R and in several items such as somatisation, obsessive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity and phobias. Scores of HADS were higher among women for both depression and anxiety. Scores of self-esteem were lower among women.Conclusion(s) Women endorsed higher psychological distress than men across multiple symptoms domains: general psychopathology, anxiety, depression and self esteem.
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In cisgendered heterosexual couples, women experience more of the psychological burden of infertility than men.
“In cisgendered heterosexual couples, women1 have been found to experience more of the psychological burden, perhaps because the onus to seek information and undergo fertility testing and treatment tends to be on the intended pregnant partner [3, 4].”
From Acceptance and commitment therapy adapted for women with infertility: a pilot study of the Infertility ACTion program. (2024) · cites this paper as [3]
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References 43 · Cited by 212
- Authors
- El Kissi, Y., Romdhane, A. B., Hidar, S., Bannour, S., Ayoubi Idrissi, K., Khairi, H., & Ben Hadj Ali, B.
- Affiliations
- Hôpital Farhat Hached (TN)
- Venue
- European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-04
- Volume
- 167
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 185-189
- ISSN
- 0028-2243 (ISSN-L)
- 0301-2115
- OpenAlex
- W1997103320
- Cited by
- 212
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 12
- FWCI
- 16.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- infertility, infertile couples, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, gender differences, assisted reproduction, primary infertility, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Mental Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Infertility, Female, Infertility, Male, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Self Concept, Severity of Illness Index, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Psychological, Tunisia, Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
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