Sielkundige aspekte van infertiliteitspasiënte by die aanvang van infertiliteitsintervensies
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary purpose of the present study was to create a profile of the psychological aspects \npresented by infertility patients of both genders before the commencement of each new phase of \nclinical intervention. \nThe researched variables were constructed in such a way that negative as well as positive aspects \nof each patient involved would be reflected. The negative variables, which were classified as risk \nfactors, included depression, anxiety, general mental health and the presence or absence of \nhappiness. The positive variables (protective factors) included variables concerning resilience, \nnamely life-contentment and general psychological well-being. General psychological wellbeing included specific aspects, such as self-acceptance, autonomy, positive relationships with \nothers, purpose in life, environmental mastery and personal growth. The cognitive aspects \n(thought processes) included variables, such as hope and intrusive thoughts. In the present study \nintrusive thoughts referred specifically to distraction, social control, worry, punishment, and \nreappraisal. \nThe secondary purpose was to ascertain whether these variables would be able to indicate to \nwhich degree a diagnosis of infertility could have a positive or negative effect on a person, could \npossibly lead to emotional problems, and how the person should be treated optimally during \ntreatment. The psychological aspects present in men and women were also compared to give the \ntherapist/physician a better understanding of gender differences. \nA descriptive research design was used. In this cross-sectional study, one-off survey research \nwas executed in order to evaluate the infertility patients before the start of infertility intervention. The measuring instruments were six self-report questionnaires and a demographic questionnaire. \nThe 116 participants, (87 women and 29 men) completed the following self-report \nquestionnaires: “General Health Questionnaire” (GHQ28), “Oxford Happiness Questionnaire” \n(OHQ), “State of Hope Scale” (SHS), “Thought Control Questionnaire” (TCQ), “Satisfaction \nWith Life Scale” (SWLS), and the “Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale” (Ryff PWB). \nThe study implies that the diagnosis of infertility can be made using the biopsychosocial model \nand the psychosocial resilience model to account for medical well-being as framework. Due to \nthe complexity of infertility, specific phases of infertility should not be emphasised and risk \nfactors solely attended to. Infertility should be regarded more globally. \nThe present study reflected that before treatment was started, the home-plan/ovulation-induction \ngroup (HP/OI) (1) was more at risk concerning depression and anxiety; (2) uncontrolled thoughts \nof worry and anxiety were present concomitantly, and (3) there was a risk concerning protective \nfactors. The intracytoplasmic sperm-injection/in vitro-fertilisation group (ICSI/IVF) was at risk \nregarding anxiety and intrusive thoughts. The artificial-insemination group (AI) possibly had \nunrealistic expectations before the commencement of the first treatment and risk factors \n(thought-control processes and protective factors) tested disproportionately high. \nIt could thus be said that the specific cause of infertility well may influence psychological \naspects before treatment starts. Infertility should be diagnosed in totality, taking into account the \nbiological as well as the psychological aspects of the infertility patient. To be able to present an \noptimal diagnosis of infertility and to optimise a prognosis, patients have to be psychologically \nevaluated before treatment is started. \nThis opens the field to further research with larger samples and particular attention paid to \nthought-control processes, protective factors and causes of infertility.
Author: Lizanne Van Waart
Language: Afrikaans
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6854176