Effect of a follow-up counseling program on mental health of oocyte donors: A randomized field trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a follow-up counseling program on oocyte donors' mental health.

Methods: A randomized controlled field trial conducted on 72 Iranian women who volunteered for oocyte donation. The intervention was designed based on the qualitative section of the study and review of the literature, as face-to-face counseling, an Instagram page, an educational pamphlet, and a briefing session for service providers. Mental health was assessed using the DASS-21 questionnaire in two stages before ovarian stimulation (T1) and ovum pick-up (T2).

Results: The scores of depression, anxiety, and stress after ovum pick-up in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group. Besides, after ovum pick-up, the satisfaction of participation in an assisted reproductive technique (P < 0.001) in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group, respectively. In the intervention group, the mean scores of depression and stress were lower at T2 compared to T1 (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study showed that the follow-up counseling program could influence these oocyte donors' mental health during participation in assisted reproductive techniques. Designing these programs in the cultural context of each country is recommended.

Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20200617047811N1), Date of registration: 07/25/2020, Registry URL: https://www.irct.ir/trial/49196.