Depression, anxiety, stress, and coping among men with infertility seeking treatment at a tertiary care hospital in South India: A mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND

Many studies in India and all over the world have focused on the psychological aspect of infertility in women, but only a few have explored it among men. To deal with psychological distress, sometimes, individuals may use maladaptive coping strategies which can further worsen the stress instead of reducing it.

AIM: To assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and various coping strategies adopted by men with infertility along with exploring their coping experiences.

METHODS

A sequential explanatory mixed-method study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in South India.The study was conducted among 200 men with infertility seeking treatment from a tertiary care hospital. The symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using Depression, Anxiety, Stress-21 scale, and coping strategies were assessed using Brief COPE scale. In-depth interviews were conducted among eight men who had moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

RESULTS

The proportion of depressive symptoms was 46% (95% CI: 39.2-52.9), that of anxiety was 51% (95% CI: 44.1-57.8), and that of stress was 59.5% (95% CI: 52.5-66.0). The most common coping strategies used were planning (96.0%), active coping (91.5%), self-distraction (90.5%), and religion (89.5%). The analysis of qualitative data revealed three themes - emotional impact of infertility, coping mechanisms and support systems, and perception toward counseling to improve mental wellbeing.

CONCLUSION

The study shows that the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress is considerable among men with infertility. The majority of them were using problem-focused coping. Overall, the study highlights the need to diagnose and address mental health problems among men with infertility.