Depression, anxiety, stress, and coping among men with infertility seeking treatment at a tertiary care hospital in South India: A mixed-method study
Background: Many studies in India and all over the world have focused on the psychological aspect of infertility in women, but only a few have explored it among men. To deal with psychological distress, sometimes, individuals may use maladaptive coping strategies which can further worsen the stress...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Indian Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_504_24 |
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| Summary: | Background:
Many studies in India and all over the world have focused on the psychological aspect of infertility in women, but only a few have explored it among men. To deal with psychological distress, sometimes, individuals may use maladaptive coping strategies which can further worsen the stress instead of reducing it.
Aim:
To assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and various coping strategies adopted by men with infertility along with exploring their coping experiences.
Methods:
A sequential explanatory mixed-method study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in South India.
The study was conducted among 200 men with infertility seeking treatment from a tertiary care hospital. The symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using Depression, Anxiety, Stress-21 scale, and coping strategies were assessed using Brief COPE scale. In-depth interviews were conducted among eight men who had moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Results:
The proportion of depressive symptoms was 46% (95% CI: 39.2–52.9), that of anxiety was 51% (95% CI: 44.1–57.8), and that of stress was 59.5% (95% CI: 52.5–66.0). The most common coping strategies used were planning (96.0%), active coping (91.5%), self-distraction (90.5%), and religion (89.5%). The analysis of qualitative data revealed three themes – emotional impact of infertility, coping mechanisms and support systems, and perception toward counseling to improve mental wellbeing.
Conclusion:
The study shows that the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress is considerable among men with infertility. The majority of them were using problem-focused coping. Overall, the study highlights the need to diagnose and address mental health problems among men with infertility. |
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| ISSN: | 0019-5545 1998-3794 |