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Fertility Treatment: Anxiety And Depression Do Not Affect Pregnancy And Treatment Cancellation Rates

Date:
January 28, 2009
Source:
Oxford University Press
Summary:
Anxiety and depression before and during fertility treatment does not affect the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant or of her canceling her treatment.
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Anxiety and depression before and during fertility treatment does not affect the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant or of her cancelling her treatment, according to a new study.

Dr Bea Lintsen, a physician 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 treatment.

Results from the 421 women who completed both questionnaires showed that levels of depression or anxiety either before or during fertility treatment 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 treatment 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 treatment, 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.


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Materials provided by Oxford University Press. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Anxiety and depression have no influence on the cancellation and pregnancy rates of a first IVF or ICSI treatment. Human Reproduction, (in press) DOI: 10.1093/humrep/den491

Cite This Page:

Oxford University Press. "Fertility Treatment: Anxiety And Depression Do Not Affect Pregnancy And Treatment Cancellation Rates." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 January 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128192131.htm>.
Oxford University Press. (2009, January 28). Fertility Treatment: Anxiety And Depression Do Not Affect Pregnancy And Treatment Cancellation Rates. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128192131.htm
Oxford University Press. "Fertility Treatment: Anxiety And Depression Do Not Affect Pregnancy And Treatment Cancellation Rates." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128192131.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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