Effect of Counselling on Stress and Gender Role Attitude in Infertile Women

Background: Diagnosis of infertility is accompanied by physical and psychological complications for couples, numerous factors can predict stress in infertile women including gender-role attitude which is concerned with views and opinions by individuals about their gender-related behaviors.The present study was a randomized clinical trial conducted on 80 infertile women referred to Rooyesh Infertility Treatment Center in the city of Karaj, Iran. The convenience sampling method was used and the samples were divided into intervention and control groups through four-block random allocation. Accordingly, the intervention group attended a five-session counseling program in accordance with the latest guideline of the British Infertility Counseling Association and gender-role attitudes, and the control group only received routine care. To collect data before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention; demographic characteristics information form, Newton’s Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), and Gender Role Questionnaire (GRQ) were used.Result: The findings of this study revealed that the demographic characteristics and mean scores of infertility stress and gender-role attitudes were not significantly different in both study groups before the intervention. Moreover, the results of repeated measures test showed that time had effect in the total score of fertility stress and all its domains in the intervention group (p<0.000) and there was significant difference between two group(p<0.000). Likewise, the results of repeated measures test indicated that time had impact on the mean scores of marital and sexual relationships and general roles illustrated in Gender Role Questionnaire in the intervention group (p<0.001) and this difference was significant between both study groups (p<0.001).Discussion: Considering the effects of the group counseling program designed based on the guideline of the British Infertility Counseling Association and gender-role attitudes, it was recommended to utilize this counseling method in infertility treatment centers to moderate levels of stress in infertile women

Keywords:

Infertility , Stress disorder , Gender role