The Impact of Social Support on Infertility-Related Stress: A Study in the Vietnamese Context

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the prediction of social support on infertility-related stress in the socio-cultural context in Vietnam. Participants were selected by convenient sampling method, including 997 primary infertility people in 3 regions of Vietnam namely North, Central, and South. Two scales were used, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), to measure social support and infertility-related stress. Research results show that infertile people in Vietnam report that they receive the most support from their family, followed by support from significant others and friends. The results of multivariate regression analysis of three aspects of social support with only family support predicted an impact on reducing infertility-related stress on the entire participant and with infertile women. In infertile men, significant other support was a predictor of increased infertility-related stress in this group. Our research also shows the importance of education for people with infertility. Discussions from a psychological and cultural perspective further clarify these findings in the Vietnamese context.