Parents anxiety and depression symptoms after successful infertility treatment and spontaneous conception: does singleton/twin pregnancy matter?

STUDY QUESTION Does mode of conception [spontaneous/after infertility treatment (IT)], type of pregnancy (singleton/twin) and parent gender have an effect on anxiety and depression levels and trajectories during pregnancy and the post-partum period? SUMMARY ANSWER Conception after IT was associated with a transitory increase in anxiety during the perinatal period for parents of singletons, while for IT parents of twins higher levels of psychopathological symptoms tended to persist during pregnancy and the post-partum period. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Most previous studies have shown that successful IT is not associated with poor psychological well-being during pregnancy and the post-partum period, but there is also some evidence for heightened pregnancy-related anxiety, lower self-esteem and lower self-efficacy. Parents of twins experience increased postnatal anxiety and depression. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This prospective longitudinal study assessed 267 couples (N = 534) at each trimester of pregnancy, after childbirth and at 3 months post-partum. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD The sample comprised 36 couples who had conceived after IT (19 twin pairs and 17 singletons) and 231 couples who had conceived spontaneously (SC; 28 twin pairs and 203 singletons). Couples were recruited at four public hospitals in Portugal, and self-report measures of anxiety and depression symptoms were administered. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE IT parents reported hi...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Tags: Psychology and counselling Source Type: research