Physical and psychological wellbeing among Australian and New Zealand patients seeking fertility treatment during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Background Worldwide, COVID-19 has disrupted the provision of fertility treatment and patients’ reproductive plans, resulting in heightened stress for many people seeking to form or expand their families. Aims Our study explored health behaviour changes and psychosocial implications of COVID-19 in patients accessing fertility treatment in Australia and New Zealand. Materials and Methods Sixty participants (58 female; 2 male) completed an online cross-sectional survey about demographics, fertility history and treatment, changes to physical and mental health status, and perceived support. Participant responses were summarised using descriptive statistics. Results Patients indicated that COVID-19 had adversely impacted their fertility treatment experience, including interruptions to treatment owing to fertility clinic closure (70%) and fears about conceiving (68.3%). Patients reported negative health behaviour changes, including a reduction in sleep quality (40%), reduced exercise (40%), weight gain (56.7%) and increases in symptoms of depression (38.3%), anxiety (75%), stress (78.3%) and loneliness (38.3%). Whilst most participants agreed their fertility clinic clearly communicated policy about COVID-19 service changes, including information about availability and/or restrictions, approximately 55% reported being offered nil to very little professional psychological support. When provided professional support, this was most commonly via fertility doctors and nurses (48.3%) compared to counsellors (3.3%). Conclusions(s) Commensurate with findings from larger international cohorts, this study highlights the negative impact of COVID-19 on health behaviours and psychological wellbeing. Moreover, given the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19, our study underscores the importance of promoting and utilising fertility clinic counselling services to enhance patient psychological care during this unprecedented pandemic. Key Points What is already known about this topic: (1) Endeavouring to conceive a pregnancy involving assisted reproductive technology is often considered a stressful process. (2) Worldwide, COVID-19 disrupted the provision of fertility treatment delaying patients’ reproductive plans, increasing patient physical and psychological health burden. (3) To date, no study has been conducted in Australia and New Zealand on the physical and psychological experiences of patients seeking fertility treatment during the era of COVID-19, as gauged from the patient perspective. What this study adds: (1) This regional study contributes to global findings on mental and physical health issues in people seeking fertility treatment during a pandemic. (2) The study highlights the under-utilisation of specialised clinic counselling suggestive of a deficit in the provision of clinic counselling services. (3) Recognition that during an unprecedented crisis, ongoing surveillance of patient psychological wellbeing and physical health behaviours relevant to fertility and referral to professional psychological counselling services are important.