Personality traits associated with depressive and anxiety disorders in infertile women and men undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment

• Published in: Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica Vol. 89; no. 1; pp. 27 - 34
• Main Authors: Volgsten, Helena, Ekselius, Lisa, Poromaa, Inger Sundström, Svanberg, Agneta Skoog
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Depression; Depression - psychology; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; infertility; Infertility, Female - psychology; Infertility, Male - psychology; Live Birth; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Mood disorders; neuroticism; Personality; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; Mood disorder; Human; Depressions; Gynecology; Anxiety disorder; Assisted procreation; Depression; Male; Female sterility; Personality; infertility; Obstetrics; In vitro fertilization embryo transfer; Treatment; neuroticism; Anxiety
• ISSN: 0001-6349; 1600-0412; 1600-0412
• DOI: 10.3109/00016340903447396

Abstract Objective. To assess which personality traits are associated with depressive and/or anxiety disorders in infertile women and men undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design. Prospective study. Setting. A university hospital in Sweden. Population. A total of 856 eligible women and men, 428 couples, were approached to participate. Overall 643 (75.1%) subjects filled out the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality (SSP) questionnaire. The response rates were 323 women (75.5%) and 320 men (74.8%). Methods. The SSP, a self-rating personality trait questionnaire, was used for evaluation. Main outcome measures. Personality traits associated with depression and/or anxiety disorders. Results. Higher mean scores on all neuroticism-related personality traits were found in women and men with depressive and/or anxiety disorders compared to women and men with no diagnosis. High scores of neuroticism and a negative pregnancy test after IVF were associated with depressive and/or anxiety disorders among women. Among men, high scores of neuroticism and unexplained or male infertility factor were associated with depressive and/or anxiety disorders. High neuroticism scores were negatively associated with live birth (p < 0.05). Conclusion. High scores on neuroticism-related personality traits were associated with depressive and/or anxiety disorders in women and men undergoing IVF.