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Background: Noticing the significant role of fertility in Iranian families, the incidence of infertility and its social and cultural dimensions, this study was carried out to compare general health status of infertile women with fertile women. Materials and Methods: This observational case-control study was done on 147 women as the control group and 147 infertile patients as the case group who were matched in terms of influential variables. Data collection was done through demographic questionnaire and general health questionnaire (GHQ) which were completed by both groups. The results were analyzed by logistic regression analysis, t test, and chi-square using STATA 10 software. Results: Means of general health score in fertile and infertile women were 19.249.72 and 28.06 10, respectively. Here the mean score of the infertile women was significantly higher in comparison with the fertile women (p<0.001). Physical symptoms, anxiety, social interaction, and depression scores of infertile women were significantly higher in comparison with the fertile women (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the means of age and duration of marriage between the two groups and the distribution of educational level, occupation, and income levels were the same in the two groups. Conclusion: Average scores of general health and physical complaints, anxiety, impaired social interaction, and depression in infertile women were higher than those in fertile women. This indicates their involvement with some degrees of public health diseases.

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Abstract

Background: Infertility is described as a loss that this event is serious tension in life and it makes extreme trauma on couples. This research aimed to investigate the effect of group psychotherapy based on life quality on marriage intimacy of infertile women.

Materials and Methods: This research method was in semi-test methodology with pre-test, post- test and follow-up test plan with control group and statistical sample was 32 persons (16 persons in test group and 16 persons in control group) that they were chosen in available sampling mode from Royan center in Arak and both two groups were peer in research standards. Test group received training for 5 sessions in 90 minute. For collecting data, Bagarozzi marital intimacy questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed by analysis of covariance by using SPSS software.

Results: Results showed that life quality training affected significantly on marriage intimacy of infertile women and improved it. Significant difference between pre-test, post-test and follow-up average scores of test and control groups showed effectiveness of life quality training on infertile women ( p=0.003<0.05 ,f=27.57).

Conclusion: The research showed that group therapy of life quality plan affected on marital intimacy and improved it. Therefore, it is recommended as a supplement.

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Background and Aim: In Iran, one quarter of couples experience infertility, which can affect various aspects of their marital life. The aim of this study was to compare psychological characteristics in fertile and infertile women referring to health centers and an infertility center in Qom. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 160 women. of all, 80 women were selected via simple random sampling method and were among those in reproductive age who referred to health centers to receive routine childcare services. The other 80 women were selected via simple random sampling method among infertile women who referred to the infertility center. The required data were collected using standard anxiety, depression, and marital adjustment questionnaires. Data were entered into SPSS V.20 software and were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test and Chi-square. Findings: There were a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean scores of depression (p=0.005), anxiety (p=0.02), and marital adjustment (p=0.01), as the mean score of depression and anxiety was higher in fertile women than in infertile women. However, the mean score of marital adjustment was higher in infertile women than in fertile women. Conclusion: Since fertility can be dependent on psychological factors and other underlying factors of an individual, therefore, it is necessary to consider the educational needs of fertile and infertile women.

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Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on marital self-regulation, marital burnout, and self-criticism of infertile women.
Methods & Materials: This experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design with the control group. The statistical population of this study included all the infertile women of Mazandaran Province, Iran, in 2018-2019. In this study, 30 infertile women were considered the sample size in the experimental group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (of 15 infertile women) and control (15 infertile women). The experimental group underwent mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (10 sessions 60 minutes), but the control group received no training. To collect data, we used the marital self-regulation scale of Wilson and et al., the marital burnout scale of Pines, and the self-criticism scale of Thompson and Zuroff. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V. 24 with descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariable analysis of covariance).
Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethical code IR.IAU.TON.REC.1397.030 was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at Islamic Azad University Tonekabon Branch.
Results: The results showed that the scores of marital self-regulation of infertile women after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the experimental group significantly increased in comparison with the control group, and also marital burnout, and self-criticism scores were decreased (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggested that counselors and therapists use mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to improve marital self-regulation, marital burnout, and self-criticism of infertile women. 

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Background: Today, infertility is a major concern for public health and one of the most important crises in life, which leads to many psychological problems. Since cognitive-behavioral therapy emphasizes empowering and educating the patient to solve problems, this study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on marital self-regulation and uncertainty intolerance in infertile women.

Methods:  This clinical trial study was performed on 30 infertile women referring to the infertility center of Sari city in two groups of case and control (15 patients in each group). Cognitive-behavioral therapy was performed in 12 sessions of 45 minutes, once a week for the experimental group, while the control group received the routine treatment. After the follow-up period, the control group also underwent psychotherapy. Both groups completed the questionnaires of marital self-regulation by Wilson et al. (2005) and uncertainty intolerance by Friston et al. (1994) in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up (45 days after the post-test) and were compared.

Finding: The results showed that in the two subscales of marital self-regulation in the experimental group, the average scores in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up respectively for the subscale of communication self-regulation (24.266 ± 6.273), (41.000 ± 3.207) and (35.266 ± 3.899) there was a significant increase in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test stage(P<0.05). And the sub-scale of communication effort(19.333 ± 5.094), (8.666 ± 1.914) and (12.000 ± 2.449), and intolerance of uncertainty 92.600 ± 9.302), (67.400 ± 7.585) and (75.200 ± 10.975), had a significant decrease in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test stage (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the study showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be an effective intervention in improving marital self-regulation and reducing intolerance of uncertainty in infertile women.


 

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Introduction: For many people, infertility is a prominent crisis and cause of mental stress that causes many unfavorable psychological reactions. The purpose of the research is to design a cognitive-behavioral coping training package with the stress of infertility and its effectiveness on the hope of infertile women.
Methods: The present study was conducted using a mixed method using the qualitative part, content analysis type, and the quantitative part, semi-experimental, in the pre-test-post-test-two-month follow-up design with the control group. The statistical population of this research was infertile women referring to infertility centers and gynecology and infertility specialists in Kermanshah in 2022. A sample of forty women was selected as a sample using the purposeful sampling method and replaced in two groups (experimental and control) in a simple random manner. Data were collected from Newton et al.'s infertility stress questionnaire (1999) and Schneider's Hope (1991). The data was analyzed using a content validity test and repeated measurement variance analysis tests.
Results: The designed educational package was valid and adequate. The findings showed a significant difference between pre-test, post-test, and follow-up in the component of hope, and this difference continued until the follow-up stage.
Conclusions: The educational package on cognitive-behavioral coping with the stress of infertility of infertile women can be used to reduce the stress and increase the hope of infertile women.