Personality and intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning of women starting their first IVF treatment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: IVF treatment involves a reassessment of issues concerning autonomy and relatedness. This study aims to extend prior studies on the psychological impact of IVF/ICSI by studying the association between the personality dimensions of Self-Criticism and Dependency with the psychological well-being and quality of the couple relationship for women starting their first IVF treatment. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 68 women starting their first IVF treatment at the Leuven University Fertility Centre of the University of Leuven, Belgium. All women were administered validated self-report measures assessing Self-Criticism and Dependency, negative life events, psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and relationship and sexual concerns. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated between all study variables, followed by four separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses for psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and relationship and sexual concerns. RESULTS: High Self-Criticism was negatively associated with psychological well-being (r = -0.63, P < 0.001) and relationship satisfaction (r = -0.29, P < 0.05), and positively associated with relationship (r = 0.39, P < 0.01) and sexual (r = 0.37, P < 0.01) concerns. High Dependency was negatively associated with psychological well-being (r = -0.30, P < 0.05), not significantly associated with relationship satisfaction and relationship concerns, and positively related to sexual concerns (r = 0.31, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study suggests that the personality dimensions of Self-Criticism and Dependency may enhance our understanding of the psychological well-being and quality of the couple relationship of women starting their first IVF treatment. However, further prospective research on this topic is needed. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.