A brief report of depressive symptoms and health promoting behaviors among women with infertility attending a clinical mind-body program

Abstract

Diagnosis of infertility or treatment for infertility can result in distress, including for some women, depressive symptoms. Integrative infertility treatment programs are gaining recognition and popularity, and many women may seek this kind of care. However, depressive symptoms may be a barrier to fully engaging in and benefiting from mind-body infertility programs. The aim of this retrospective, cross-sectional chart review, was to describe the baseline level of depressive symptoms and differences in baseline health promoting behaviors by level of depressive symptoms among women (n = 104) presenting to a mind-body infertility program in the clinical setting. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and health promoting behaviors were assessed using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II). The mean BDI-II score for the sample was 16.3 (±8.5). Participants scoring in the moderate–severe range on the BDI-II had significantly lower scores on Spiritual Growth, Interpersonal Relations, Stress Management and Nutrition subscales of the HPLP-II. There were no significant differences on the Physical Activity or Health Responsibility subscales. These findings may have implications for the treatment of women with infertility, particularly those who seek an integrative approach to treatment.

Keywords::

• Mind-body influences
• consequences of infertility
• depression
• infertility
• mental health

Declaration of interest: This publication resulted (in part) from Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA [Grant # 5R01DP00039].

Current knowledge on this subject

• Diagnosis of infertility and treatments for infertility can result in distress, including for some women, depressive symptoms.

• Integrative infertility programs are gaining recognition and popularity, as evidenced by the development of targeted centers for mind-body medicine and infertility, as well as the availability of these treatments within established medical infertility centers.

• In the clinical setting, women with elevated depressive symptomatology or even clinically significant depression may seek mind-body interventions; thus, it is important to ascertain the degree to which depressive symptoms exist among women seeking care through mind-body programs in the clinical setting in order understand how to maximize the benefit of these interventions.

What this study adds

• This study describes the levels of depressive symptoms among a clinical sample of women seeking a mind-body infertility intervention.

• Elevated symptoms of depression might be a barrier to fully engaging in and benefiting from mind-body programs in the clinical setting.

• Implications for clinical practice may include providing women seeking mind-body interventions with psychoeducation about depression and infertility, and referring women with elevated levels of depressive for concomitant psychiatric evaluation and possible treatment.