Assessment of psychological burden and quality of life in couples undergoing infertility treatments.

PURPOSE: There is limited understanding of how infertility affects the quality of life among individuals in Indian population. The current investigation explored the psychological consequences of infertility in the Indian socio-cultural setting.

METHODS

Couples with fertility issues who visited infertility clinics between May 2023 and January 2024 were included based on specific criteria. Those who gave informed consent completed the FertiQoL and HADS questionnaires. Scores were summarized using mean and standard deviation. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to examine relationships between quality of life, anxiety, and depression. The statistical significance of these correlations was assessed using the t-test.

RESULTS

A total of 250 participants were recruited; 200 completed the FertiQoL questionnaire and 197 completed the HADS. Of the FertiQoL respondents, 101 were male and 99 female. The mean FertiQoL score was 60.37 ± 14.42 (range: 19.12-92.65). The mean HADS-A score was 9.17 ± 3.63, and HADS-D was 6.84 ± 3.87. Among females, HADS-A and HADS-D scores were 9.22 ± 3.67 and 6.83 ± 3.89, respectively; among males, 9.17 ± 3.67 and 6.76 ± 3.88. Pearson correlation showed a significant negative association between FertiQoL and anxiety (r = -0.34, p < 0.00003) and depression (r = -0.30, p < 0.00001), indicating lower quality of life with higher anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Infertile couples reported a moderate quality of life, with anxiety at borderline levels and depression nearing borderline. Psychological counselling and increased social awareness are essential to reduce distress and enhance overall well-being.