Psychological evaluation test after the use of assisted reproduction techniques

• Published in: Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 274 - 278
• Main Authors: GONCALVES FRANCO, José JR, RAZERA BARUFFI, Ricardo Luiz, MAURI, Ana Lucia, PETERSEN, Claudia Guilhermino, FELIPE, Valeria, GARBELLINI, Erika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Kluwer/Plenum 01.06.2002; Springer Nature B.V; Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; Brazil; Couples; Embryos; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; In vitro fertilization; Infertility; Male; Medical sciences; Patients; Pregnancy; Psychological assessment; Psychological Tests; Questionnaires; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted - psychology; Sterility. Assisted procreation; Stress; Success; Surveys and Questionnaires; Brazil; In vitro fertilization embryo transfer; Human; Assisted procreation; Female; Psychological counseling; Intracytoplasmic sperm injection
• ISSN: 1058-0468; 1573-7330
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1016566313172

The emotional changes provoked by the use of assisted reproduction techniques (ART) may trigger important psychological reactions. The objective of the present study was to develop a psychological evaluation test (PET-ART) in order to identify the occurrence of psychological problems and to facilitate their treatment. A total of 128 women were submitted to PET-ART of the Center for Human Reproduction, "Sinhá Junqueira" Maternity Foundation, after application of IVF/ICSI program at least once. The causes of infertility were male-related in 45% of cases, female-related in 48%, and both male- and female-related in 7%. Infertility was primary in 79% of cases and secondary in 21%. The mean age of the women was 34.5 +/- 5.2 years and the mean age of the men was 37.9 +/- 6.8 years. The PET-ART was evaluated using a questionnaire with 15 questions selected in order to detect emotional reactions caused by infertility. The responses were assigned four grades with respect to intensity (1 = mild intensity; 2 = medium intensity; 3 = high intensity; and 4 = maximum or unbearable intensity). The sum of the responses corresponded to PET-ART score ranging from 15 to 60 points. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by the alpha coefficient of Cronbach. The PET-ART identified five questions receiving 50% or more responses of the high/maximum intensity type (sum of the percentages of responses with a score of 3 and 4). The questions were the following: 1--The waiting time before being submitted to a pregnancy test (82.8% of the patients); 2--A negative result of the pregnancy test (77.3% of the patients); 3--The degree of anxiety in a new attempt to obtain pregnancy (76.5% of the patients); 4--Finding the money necessary for the repetition of the IVF/ICSI techniques (66.4% of the patients); 5--The possibility of collecting few eggs, or of forming or not an embryo in the laboratory is an expectation that makes me anxious (57.8% of the patients). The mean PET-ART was 33 +/- 6. The alpha coefficient of Cronbach was 0.757. The PET-ART was an efficient tool for the identification of women with emotional changes provoked by the application of ART and for the planning of their treatment. However, a general psychological approach was developed for each emotional factor regardless of PET-ART.