Mental health screening and psychological support should be the standard of care in fertility clinics

Abstract

Infertility affects up to one in six individuals, a common diagnosis that, like most chronic health conditions, comes with an array of physical, emotional, social, and economical challenges. Currently, less than a fourth of individuals undergoing care for infertility utilize mental health services for a myriad of reasons including but not limited to access, cost, travel time, and lack of knowledge of what care would entail. By improving psychological well-being, infertility patients may increase their relationship satisfaction, coping mechanisms for grief and guilt that frequently come with the diagnosis, adherence to treatment, and even chances at achieving a successful pregnancy. In this paper, I argue that mental health services should be incorporated into standard fertility care visits, spearheaded by licensed and experienced mental health professionals to screen and assess a patient's needs and risk of distress, to not only achieve the aforementioned benefits of mental health counseling, but also improve their overall well-being.

Keywords: Access; Anxiety; Cost of care; Depression; Distress; Infertility; Mental health resources/professionals; Pregnancy rates; Screening; Uncertainty; Well-being.