Perception of fertility, quality of life, and depression in women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate perception of (in)fertility, fertility-related quality of life, and depression in women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, quantitative approach. The research sample comprised 89 women participating in the assisted reproduction program at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) outpatient clinic. Data collection took place between August 2016 and January 2018. The tools used in the study were the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) questionnaire, Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and a questionnaire on sociodemographic data.

Results: The mean total FertiQoL score was 66.5 ± 14.5, and it was significantly associated with depression and formal education; on average, patients with depression had a score difference of -10.7 (95CI%: -17.5;-3.8) compared to those without depression. Patients with depression reported a lower quality of life compared to those without depression in the social, treatment environment, and total treatment subscales. On the mind/body subscale, those meeting BDI criteria for depression scored 13.4 points lower on average than respondents without depression (p<0.001). The highest-scoring FPI dimension was conjugal and sexual relationship (4.5±0.79). The FPI dimensions social relationships (r= -0.77; p<0.01), conjugal and sexual relationship (r= 0.67; p<0.01), and maternity/paternity (r= -0.65; p<0.01) correlated with FertiQoL total score.

Conclusions: Women with depression who are in assisted reproductive treatment endorse lower fertility-related quality of life than their peers without depression. Assisted reproduction providers should be aware of the multiple factors involved and offer psychosocial care before, during, and after treatment.