The relationship between stress and infertility.

Dialogues Clin Neurosci

Boston IVF, Waltham, Massachusetts USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Massachusetts, USA.

Published: March 2018

The relationship between stress and infertility has been debated for years. Women with infertility report elevated levels of anxiety and depression, so it is clear that infertility causes stress. What is less clear, however, is whether or not stress causes infertility. The impact of distress on treatment outcome is difficult to investigate for a number of factors, including inaccurate self-report measures and feelings of increased optimism at treatment onset. However, the most recent research has documented the efficacy of psychological interventions in lowering psychological distress as well as being associated with significant increases in pregnancy rates. A cognitive-behavioral group approach may be the most efficient way to achieve both goals. Given the distress levels reported by many infertile women, it is vital to expand the availability of these programs.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6016043PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2018.20.1/klrooneyDOI Listing

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