Medica Jadertina, Vol. 55 No. 3-4, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.57140/mj.55.3-4.1
The role of psychological distress in the outcome of in vitro fertilization
Dunja Jurić Vukelić
; University of Osijek, Faculty of education, Department of social sciences, Osijek, Croatia
Zorana Kušević
; University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; University hospital centre Zagreb, Department of psychological medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Introduction: Infertility affects a significant proportion of couples worldwide and may be associated with psychological difficulties. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF), provide a solution but are associated with emotional challenges such as anxiety, depression, and stress, which may impact treatment outcomes.
Respondents and methods: The study involved 200 women undergoing IVF at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics. Psychological distress was assessed using the CORE-OM questionnaire before treatment. One year later, respondents were contacted to determine IVF outcomes. Statistical analyses explored the association between psychological factors and treatment success.
Results: Higher levels of depressive symptoms were found to have negative implications for IVF outcomes. Regression analysis confirmed that depression was the only significant negative predictor of treatment success. Self-directed risk behaviors showed a trend toward significance, while anxiety and overall risk behaviors, although correlated with IVF outcomes, did not emerge as significant predictors in the regression model.
Conclusion: The results showed that higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with less favorable IVF outcomes, while the association with anxiety was not confirmed in the regression analysis. Integrating psychological support into infertility treatment may contribute to improved success rates and enhanced well-being of patients. Future research should include biological factors and longitudinal designs to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.
Keywords
assisted reproduction; infertility; IVF; Psychological distress
Hrčak ID:
342744
URI
Publication date:
8.1.2026.
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