Experiences and psychological distress of fertility treatment and employment

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined experiences and psychological distress about fertility treatment in people combining work and treatment.

Methods: Five hundred and sixty-three participants in the UK completed an online survey asking about difficulties in combining work and treatment; workplace disclosure, support, absence and policy; and psychological distress about treatment.

Results: Absence from work and perceptions that treatment has an impact on work and career prospects were reported by the majority of participants and this was related to the psychological distress of treatment. Around three quarters of participants disclosed to their employer and colleagues. The key reason for disclosure was needing to ask for absence from work and the main reason for non-disclosure was privacy. Workplace policy relating to managing fertility treatment and support from colleagues and their employer was related to reduced psychological distress but workplace policy was reported by less than one quarter of participants.

Conclusion: Difficulties experienced in combining work and treatment suggest that support is needed. Specific workplace policy, guidance for supervisors and flexibility in fertility clinic times should help support employees during treatment and reduce psychological distress, thereby potentially influencing physical health and treatment outcomes.

Keywords:

• Assisted reproduction
• psychological distress
• disclosure
• support
• workplace policy

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Emma Hughes for her support with data analysis.

Disclosure statement

At the time of data collection S.S. was Chief Executive of Fertility Network UK, although she has since retired. She contributed to designing and promoting the survey and commented on the draft manuscript but was not involved in data analysis and interpretation which was conducted independently by the other authors.

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Current knowledge on this subject

• Fertility treatment is a demanding process that causes distress

• Fertility treatment requires absence from work and may conflict with the demands of work

• People have concerns about disclosing infertility in the workplace.

What this study adds

• A survey of the overall experiences of people combining work and treatment has not previously been conducted.

• Perceptions that treatment has an impact on work and career prospects are common and related to psychological distress about fertility treatment

• Workplace policy relating to managing fertility treatment and good support from an employer are less common but are related to reduced treatment distress

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Fertility Network UK.