Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Apr;14(1):10-16.
doi: 10.22074/ijfs.2020.5785. Epub 2020 Feb 25.

Effect of Mindfulness-Based Group Counseling on Depression in Infertile Women: Randomized Clinical Trial Study

Fatemeh Kalhori  1 , Seyedeh Zahra Masoumi  2 , Farshid Shamsaei  3 , Younes Mohammadi  4 , Mahnaz Yavangi  5
Affiliations
Review

Effect of Mindfulness-Based Group Counseling on Depression in Infertile Women: Randomized Clinical Trial Study

Fatemeh Kalhori et al. Int J Fertil Steril. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) can lead to depressive symptoms in infertile women due to their low success and high costs. Mindfulness-based group counseling can decrease depressive symptoms by increasing mental concentration. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness-based group counseling on depression in infertile women undergoing IVF.

Materials and methods: The present clinical trial included 90 infertile women undergoing IVF treatment in an infertility center in 2016. Women were divided into two groups, intervention and control. Both groups completed a demographic questionnaire and the Beck depression inventory (BDI). Eight 90-minute sessions (two each week) of mindfulness-based group counseling were held with the intervention group, while the control group received treatment as normal. Following the intervention, the BDI was again completed by both groups. The data were analyzed and independent t tests and, paired t tests conducted at a significance level of P<0.05.

Results: No statistically significant demographic differences were observed between the two groups. Women in the control group had a somewhat lower depressive symptom score than the intervention group before the intervention. However, compared with before, the depressive symptom score among women in the intervention group decreased significantly (48%) (P<0.001) after the intervention. In contrast, the depressive symptom score in control women was higher after the intervention than before.

Conclusion: According to the findings of the present research, mindfulness-based group counseling is able to reduce depressive symptoms in infertile women under IVF treatment. Therefore, group counseling sessions are suggested for all depressed women undergoing infertility treatment (Registration number: IRCT2015082013405N14).

Keywords: Counseling; Depression; Female; Infertility; Mindfulness.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Modified CONSORT flow diagram for individual randomized controlled trials of nonpharmacologic treatments.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Novak E, Berek JS. Berek & Novak's gynecology.15th.Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012. pp. 1028–1028.
    1. Vayena E, Rowe PJ, Griffin PD. Current practices and controversies in assisted reproduction.Geneva. Geneva; 2001.
    1. Mascarenhas MN, Flaxman SR, Boerma T, Vanderpoel S, Stevens GA. National, regional, and global trends in infertility prevalence since 1990: a systematic analysis of 277 health surveys. PLoS Med. 2012;9(12):e1001356–e1001356. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aleixandre-Benavent R, Simon C, Fauser BC. Trends in clinical reproductive medicine research: 10 years of growth. Fertil Steril. 2015;104(1):131–137. e5. - PubMed
    1. Okhovati M, Zare M, Zare F, Bazrafshan MS, Bazrafshan A. Trends in global assisted reproductive technologies research: a scientometrics study. Electron Physician. 2015;7(8):1597–1601. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources