Adjustment in fertility treatments: the role of infertility centrality in women’s identity and goal adjustment

Abstract

Background: Some of the women that go through repeated infertility treatments do not adjust well to the treatments and experience increased distress. The present study examined how centrality of the fertility problem in the woman’s identity and goal adjustment (disengagement and re-engagement) are associated with the woman’s psychological adjustment. Methods: 193 women in ongoing fertility treatments filled out questionnaires, and were follow up on their psychological wellbeing three months later (N=130). Results: Women who perceived their fertility problem as more central to their identity experienced greater distress (β=0.34, p<0.01) and less well-being (β=-0.31, p<0.01). Concurrently, high ability for goal disengagement was a resource that protected women from these feelings. Women with the ability of goal disengagement who did not also show an ability of goal re-engagement (β of interaction=-0.23, p<0.01) experienced greater distress, probably because they remained with feelings of emptiness and lack of purpose. These findings were found concurrently and after three months (T2). Finally, the models predicting wellbeing and distress at T2 using centrality, goal adjustment and T1 wellbeing/distress explained 42% and 47.5% of the variance, respectively. Conclusions: Although a lot of attention is invested in both research and practice in the subject of coping with fertility treatments, it seems that the possibilities of reducing investment in treatments and finding alternative goals do not receive appropriate attention. This study discusses these issues and their possible clinical implications.