Anxiety and depression and cancellation rates

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Anxiety and depression before and during fertility therapy does not affect the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant or of her cancelling her therapy, as per a research studypublished in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction [1] on Thursday 29 January.

Dr Bea Lintsen, a doctor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (The Netherlands), and her colleagues used questionnaires to assess the levels of psychological distress in 783 women at two points before and during fertility therapy. Results from the 421 women who completed both questionnaires showed that levels of depression or anxiety either before or during fertility therapy had no influence over cancellation rates and did not predict pregnancy rates either.

Until now, studies of the links between anxiety and depression and the success of fertility therapy have been inconclusive. Dr Lintsen believes hers is the largest prospective study yet to look at the influence of distress on the outcome of a first IVF or ICSI therapy, and that the findings are reliable. However, she and her colleagues say the associations between psychological factors and pregnancy rates after IVF are complex and require further research into mediating factors such as lifestyle and sexual behaviour.


Posted by: Emily    Source