The efficacy of group counselling on perceived stress among infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment: An RCT

Background: One of the stressful and critical experiences that threat the individual, family,marital, and social stability is infertility.Objective: To identify the effects of midwifery-led counselling programs on the perceived stressof the women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment.Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 50 infertile women who underwentin vitro fertilization treatment for the first time were enrolled in two groups. The interventiongroup received six sessions of group counselling by M.Sc. midwifery of counseling studentand the control group received only the routine care. All participants filled Newton’s standardquestionnaire before and at the time of puncture, embryo transfer and the pregnancy test.Results: The mean ± SD scores for the perceived infertility stress before the intervention in thecontrol and the intervention groups were 167.92 ± 12.14 and 166.75 ± 13.27, respectively. Themean of perceived stress after intervention at the time of oocyte puncture in the control and casegroup were 177.12 ± 19.37 and 115.75 ± 13.88, at the time of embryo transfer were 179.40 ± 18.34and 118.08 ± 15.37, and at the time of pregnancy test was 183.76 ± 14.97 and 120.50 ± 16.24,respectively. The perceived stress of infertility after intervention were statistically significant inthe two group (p ≤ 0.001).Conclusion: Group counselling is one of the effective methods for reducing the perceived stressin the women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment.

Keywords:

Infertility , Group counselling , Perceived infertility stress