Assessing the Psychological Impact of Fertility Treatment

• Main Author: McKenna, Kenneth A. (Kenneth Allen)
• Other Authors: Bodenhamer-Davis, Eugenia
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Texas 1997
• Subjects: infertility; psychology; Infertility > Treatment > Psychological aspects.; Human reproductive technology > Psychological aspects.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277704/

This controlled descriptive study was designed to investigate the psychological status of couples who are engaged in advanced fertility treatments. A battery of psychological test instruments, including the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI), the Health Attribution Test (HAT), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS), was used to measure psychological variables that have been shown in the infertility research literature to be associated with the psychological experiences of infertility patients. The scores from the four assessment instruments were compared with those of pregnant couples in childbirth education classes to differentiate the impact of stress associated with fertility treatment from the stress experienced by third trimester pregnant couples. Eighty-five subjects (42 male and 43 female) volunteered for the study and completed packets of questionnaires. The groups were designated Treatment (infertile couples) and Control (pregnant couples). The resulting data were collected and analyzed on the basis of group mean scores on the test instruments.