O-195 The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on psychological distress due to the cancellation of ART. A systematic review and meta-analysis

AbstractStudy questionIs there evidence that infertile patients have been more likely to experience distress during the COVID-19 outbreak with the consequent interruption of treatment plans?Summary answerHigh levels of psychological distress among infertile patients have been found during the COVID-19 pandemic, greater than that reported in the general population.What is known alreadyPreliminary research on the negative consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health evidenced heightened levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress in some clinical populations as well as in community samples. However, little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on psychological distress of infertile patients who have been forced to suspend infertility treatment and postpone parenthood goals during the pandemic. The aim of this meta-analytic review is to summarize extant literature on the prevalence of psychological distress symptoms in infertile patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Study design, size, durationA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines on PsycInfo, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, MedRxiv from March 2020 to mid-December 2020. Study inclusion criteria were specified according to the PICOS guideline. All naturalistic or RCT studies published in 2020 that examined infertility as the primary diagnosis and had a quantitative measurement of distress, were eligible. The primary outcomes were symptoms of psychological distre...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research