Objective: To determine the prevalence, severity and predictability of psychiatric symptoms of infertile women and the effects of infertility on marital and sexual relationships.
Methods: A semi-structured interview form, symptom check list, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Maudsley Marrital Questionnaire were utilized for 50 infertile women and 40 healthy women as a control group.
Results: Depression, anxiety and strength of psychological symptoms were significantly higher in the infertile group. Depression was decreased as the rate of employment, economic status and education increased. Infertility, infertility treatment, and marriage duration were positively correlated with depression and the strength of psychological symptoms. Sexual relationships were negatively affected the longer the duration of infertility treatment lasted.
Conclusion: Special attention must be given to identifying psychiatric problems in infertile women. Relationship and sexual difficulties also appear central to infertility-related stress; targeting problems in these domains will have maximal therapeutic benefit.