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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2023; 83(11): 1350-1360
DOI: 10.1055/a-2166-4374
GebFra Science
Meta-Analysis/Systematic Review

Systematic Review: Risk Factors of Anxiety, Depressiveness, and (Lack of) Social Support in Women and Men Prior to Assisted Reproduction

Article in several languages: English | deutsch
Carla Luisa Thanscheidt 
1   Institut für Medizinische Psychologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
,
Tewes Wischmann 
1   Institut für Medizinische Psychologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Abstract

This review provides a systematic overview of the state of knowledge to date of psychosocial risk factors with a focus on anxiety, depressiveness, and (lack of) social support among involuntarily childless women and men prior to assisted reproduction. The databases PubMed, PubPsych, PsycINFO-Ebsco, and Web of Science were searched for relevant publications in English or German, and finally a total of 20 publications were included in the systematic review. Of these, 18 studies focused on depressiveness, 15 studies focused on anxiety, and 9 studies focused on social support. Half of the studies included both men and women, while the other half included only women. Due to the large heterogeneity of the study results as well as limitations, no clear conclusions can be drawn regarding a difference between the risk profiles of men and women with an unfulfilled desire to have children. However, it has been shown that infertile couples or women experience higher levels of stress in the form of depressiveness and anxiety compared to fertile participants. Furthermore, it was found that social support, regardless of gender difference, within the couple and from family and friends may be associated with a lower risk for depressiveness and anxiety.

Keywords

infertility - anxiety - depressiveness - social support - assisted reproductive technology (ART)


Publication History

Received: 31 May 2023

Accepted after revision: 19 August 2023

Article published online:
03 November 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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