Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Infertile Women Referred to Montaserie Infertility Clinic in Mashhad, North-East Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Women's Health Research Center, Mashhad University, Mashhad, Iran

3 Resident of Psychiatry Mashhad University of Medical Sciences of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: The necessity of reproduction to survive the human’s generation has been eclipsed by infertility. Having considered the psychological and social aspects of infertility, we aimed to assess the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in infertile women.
 
Material and Methods: This is a descriptive study on infertile women referred to Montaserie infertility clinic (in Mashhad, North-East Iran) during 2004-2006. Totally 963 patients were evaluated by using General Health Questionnaire and those with scores more than cut off point (28) were considered as high risk group for psychiatric disorders (102). High risk group were interviewed by two psychiatrists and evaluated for mood and anxiety disorders based on DSM IV criteria.
 
Results: The mean age of patients was 28.7 years. Of them 79/4% have more than elementary education and 75% were housewives. Therapeutic interventions had led to pregnancy in 32% of them. Medical management and intrauterine insemination (IUI) were the most common treatments and female causes of infertility were more common than the male causes. The most common disorder was general anxiety (44.1%). Other anxiety disorders were reported in 11.8% and depression was seen in 30.4%. There was not significant correlation between the tendency for psychiatric disorders and age, sex, job, duration of infertility, and educational status. But there was significant relationship between the type of therapeutic intervention(IUI) and high risk for psychiatric disorders (P<0.05).
 
Conclusion: We suggest that psychiatric evaluation should be in the first step of infertility treatment and anxiety management techniques should be taught to high risks patients.

Keywords

References

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