Depression More Common Among Infertile Couples
Depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders are more common among infertile couples, suggests a small study published in the December 2008 issue of Fertility and Sterility.
While most of the 81 infertile couples assessed in the study did not suffer from any sort of disorder, as a group, they did suffer from mental disorders at a higher rate than the 70 fertile couples studied.
The biggest difference between the fertile and infertile couples was in the diagnosis of adjustment disorder. Adjustment disorder refers to depression and anxiety in response to an identifiable cause, in this case, the inability to conceive a child.
In particular, women were most affected by adjustment disorder, with 28% exhibiting symptoms of depression and anxiety, versus only 3% of fertile women.
In addition, 18% of infertile women had binge-eating disorder, while none of their fertile counterparts did.
Among men, there was evidence that infertility patients had higher rates of obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia, although the symptoms were not severe enough to make a diagnosis.
It is not clear, say the researchers, whether these mental disorders are the result of infertility or are pre-existing conditions which contribute to it. They feel, however, that adjustment disorder is most likely a result of infertility.
If larger studies confirm their findings, the authors suggest that infertility patients would benefit from routine mental health screening.
Comments
Although I have a great son, whom is
18, I had the hardest time getting pregnant – before and after my son was born. I was dx’d with major depression for the very first time at age 22, and I was in and out of pysch hospitals — I was a mess! I actually had the problems with depression after my first wedding. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but it was really the saddest! My mother died 2 weeks before my wedding, and she planned everything. Every little detail was her work. It was amazing yet eerie and very sad. My father told me that
I should go on with the wedding, as that’s what my mom would want me to do.
My marriage only lasted 4 years, but in that time, we had tons of unprotected sex, and I only got pregnant once, and that was partially planned, as I was following my ovulation chart. The weird thing is, I ovulate on different days in different months!! On to my next relationship which lasted 8 years and I couldn’t get pregnant from him no matter what we did! We tried but it never worked. I just assume I am infertile. It doesn’t really bother me, as I got what I wanted – one child, a boy!