The Impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Perceived Stress in Women with Primary Infertility Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background & aim: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a significant stressor for individuals facing infertility, potentially affecting treatment success. This randomized clinical trial investigates the effects of counseling utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on perceived stress in women undergoing IVF for primary infertility.Methods: This clinical study, Sixty-three Iranian women with primary infertility undergoing IVF treatment were selected from Milad Infertility Center in Mashhad, Iran between 2021 and 2022. Participant firstly recruited through convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to either intervention or control group. The intervention group received 6 sessions of individual ACT, each lasting 45–60 minutes, with sessions held every six days. Both groups received standard medical care. The Newton's Infertility Stress Questionnaire was administered before treatment, two weeks post-counseling (on egg collection day), and two weeks after embryo transfer (on pregnancy test day). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, including independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney, and repeated analysis of variance.Results: Prior to intervention, the two groups were comparable in demographic characteristics and infertility stress. The intervention group experienced a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress on both egg collection and pregnancy test days, while the control group exhibited an increase (p=0.001The perceived stress score two weeks after embryo transfer in the intervention group shows a decrease compared to before the intervention (-15.5±24.0) while it was lower in the control group (and 7.4±.24.3) ( P=0≤0.05).Conclusion: This study recommends individual ACT as an effective intervention for reducing perceived stress in women facing primary infertility during IVF treatment.

The Impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Perceived Stress in Women with Primary Infertility Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial Keywords:

Infertility Counseling , Acceptance and commitment therapy , Perceived stress , Primary Infertility , IVF , Randomized Clinical