| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2019 | Volume
: 40
| Issue : 2 | Page : 74-85 |
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A preliminary study of stress and infertility among Egyptian female sample in Benha city
Victor S Mikhael, Mohamed M El-Hamady, Shewikar T El-Bakry, Raghdaa A Abdel-Halem
Department of Psychiatry, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
Correspondence Address:
Shewikar T El-Bakry
Department of Psychiatry, Benha University Hospital, Benha, 11543
Egypt
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ejpsy.ejpsy_8_19
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Background To study infertility-related stress among women, as the experience of infertility can be extremely stressful and associated with a range of psychiatric problems in infertile women, to examine its relationship with their coping capability to stress and marital satisfaction, and to study some of the risk factors that may lead to psychiatric disorders.
Objective In this study, we have analyzed the psychiatric problems of infertile women, their coping capability to stressful life events, and marital satisfaction among them.
Patients and methods In a cross-sectional study, 30 infertile women (15 explained and 15 unexplained infertility) were randomly selected and advised to a clinical psychiatric assessment and to fill up Stressful Life Events Coping questionnaire and Marital Satisfaction Inventory. After obtaining their consents, psychiatric problems such as depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, panic, somatoform disorders, and personality profile were assessed. Moreover, their coping capability to stressful life events and marital satisfaction was studied. Results were analyzed and compared with the results from 10 fertile women.
Results According to a clinical psychiatric assessment, Stressful Life Events Coping questionnaire, and Marital Satisfaction Inventory, major depression, anxiety disorders, comorbid anxiety and depression, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder were significantly more frequent in infertile women. Considering somatization and personality disorders, there was no significant difference between infertile and fertile women. Pathological coping capability to stress and marital dissatisfaction, on the contrary, was significantly higher among infertile women.
Conclusion Infertility may be considered as one of the major casual factor in depression and anxiety disorders, has negative coping capability to stress, and shows marital dissatisfaction.
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