Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological status of infertile
patients who had in vitro fertilization treatment interrupted or
postponed: a cross-sectional study
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the changes in the psychological status of
infertile women and men who had infertility treatment interrupted or
postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Cross-sectional
study (NCT04400942) performed between April and June 2020. Population:
Patients having in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments at our
institution interrupted or postponed due to the COVID-19 emergency.
Methods: An electronic survey was e-mailed to investigate presence,
severity of anxiety and depression using the Generalized Anxiety
Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).
Subjects with pre-existing psychiatric disorders diagnosed by DSM-V
criteria were excluded from the analysis. Main Outcome Measures:
Presence, severity of anxiety and depression; risk factors related to
these psychological disorders. Results: Overall, 524 out of 646 patients
(80.9%) completed the survey. The prevalence of anxiety and/or
depression was significantly higher in women (41.5%, p=0.012), in
particular, if aged more than 35 years (50.2%, p=0.023) and with a
previous IVF attempt (57.6%, p=0.031). The occurrence of these
psychological disorders was significantly associated with the time spent
on COVID-19 related news per day (> 1 hour per day,
p=0.034) and partner with evidence of psychological disorder (p=0.017)
and, in females, with a diagnosis of poor ovarian reserve (p=0.052),
diagnosis of endometriosis (p<0.001) or uterine fibroids
(p=0.037). Conclusions: The psychological impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the infertile couples who should have undergone IVF
treatment was significant. IVF centers should systematically offer these
couples an adequate psychological counseling to improve quality of life
and mental health. Funding: - Keywords: INFERTILITY: ASSISTED
CONCEPTION; PSYCHOLOGY