Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Emotional Distress Caused by the Measures Taken in Assisted Reproductive Treatments during the COVID-19 Confinement in Spain

Version 1 : Received: 17 August 2023 / Approved: 18 August 2023 / Online: 18 August 2023 (09:57:23 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Correa Rancel, M.; Sosa Comino, E.; Leon-Larios, F.; Suárez Hernández, Y.; Carballo Lorenzo, J.; Gomez-Baya, D.; Baez Quintana, D. Emotional Distress Caused by the Measures Taken in Assisted Reproductive Treatments during the COVID-19 Confinement in Spain. Journal of Clinical Medicine 2023, 12, 7069, doi:10.3390/jcm12227069. Correa Rancel, M.; Sosa Comino, E.; Leon-Larios, F.; Suárez Hernández, Y.; Carballo Lorenzo, J.; Gomez-Baya, D.; Baez Quintana, D. Emotional Distress Caused by the Measures Taken in Assisted Reproductive Treatments during the COVID-19 Confinement in Spain. Journal of Clinical Medicine 2023, 12, 7069, doi:10.3390/jcm12227069.

Abstract

During the pandemic, assisted reproductive treatments suffered from major disruptions in their terms due to the restrictions imposed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of anxiety of women whose treatments were either suspended or delayed. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between April and May 2020. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was applied in a Spanish adapted version. The research also included social, personal, and work aspects which may be involved in the challenging situation. Results: A total of 115 patients participated in the study (73.7%). Women showed a mean in trait anxiety of 17.79 (SD = 8.80) and a mean in state anxiety of 19.95 (SD = 9.08). Neither the type of treatment nor the time of infertility are predictors of trait anxiety or state anxiety. More age pressure and more worry were associated with more trait and state anxiety (p<0.001). The most common emotional reactions to discontinuation of fertility treatments were sadness and anxiety. Conclusions: Discontinuation of fertility treatments due to confinement restrictions had a negative impact on the mental health of women who were following a process of assisted reproduction treatment, increasing their levels of emotional distress and anxiety.

Keywords

COVID-19; fertility; anxiety; infertility; confinement; lockdown

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.