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Woods BM, Bray LA, Campbell SB, Holland A, Mrug S, Ladores S. A phenomenological exploration of the mental health experiences of young women with diminished ovarian reserve. Res Nurs Health 2024; 47:220-233. [PMID: 37837429 DOI: 10.1002/nur.22347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Infertility is a reproductive disease affecting one in six individuals that renders an individual unable to conceive. One cause of infertility is diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), which reduces the quantity and/or quality of a female's oocyte pool. Although typically indicating normal ovarian aging during the late 30s and early 40s, DOR can also impact younger women, increasing their risk for psychological distress from an unexpected diagnosis of infertility. A phenomenological approach examined the mental health experiences and perceptions of infertility-related mental health care of young women with DOR. Women diagnosed with DOR by age 35 in the United States who experienced emotional distress during infertility were recruited from infertility-specific social media and via snowball sampling. Participants completed a demographic survey and semi-structured individual interview that was audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. Ten women ages 27-41 completed the study. On average, participants were 30 years of age at the time of DOR diagnosis (age range 25-35), primarily Caucasian (90%), and married (90%). Two main themes were found: (1) Young women with DOR feel like a "forgotten community" coping with an invisible disease; and (2) Not all fertility clinics are created equal. Participants perceived their diagnosis as devastating and hopeless and urged others to find a provider with ample experience treating patients with DOR. This study helped to understand how young women with DOR perceive their mental health and identified a significant need for advancing towards more holistic infertility healthcare that encompasses both physical and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany M Woods
- Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Leigh Ann Bray
- Capstone College of Nursing, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Sukhkamal B Campbell
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, University of Alabama at Birmingham Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Aimee Holland
- Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Sigrid Ladores
- Department of Family, Community and Health Systems, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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Miner SA, Gelgoot EN, Lahuec A, Wunderlich S, Safo D, Brochu F, Dawadi S, Robins S, Bernadette S, O’Connell L, Chan P, Ells C, Holzer H, Lo K, Mahutte N, Ouhilal S, Rosberger Z, Tulandi T, Zelkowitz P. “Who needs an app? Fertility patients’ use of a novel mobile health app”. Digit Health 2022; 8:20552076221102248. [PMID: 35646384 PMCID: PMC9131380 DOI: 10.1177/20552076221102248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The number of couples experiencing infertility treatment has increased, as has the number of women and men experiencing infertility treatment-related stress and anxiety. Therefore, there is a need to provide information and support to both men and women facing fertility concerns. To achieve this goal, we designed a mhealth app, Infotility, that provided men and women with tailored medical, psychosocial, lifestyle, and legal information. Methods This study specifically examined how fertility factors (e.g. time in infertility treatment, parity), socio-demographic characteristics (e.g. gender, education, immigrant status), and mental health characteristics (e.g. stress, depression, anxiety, fertility-related quality of life) were related to male and female fertility patients’ patterns of use of the Infotility app. Results Overall, the lifestyle section of the app was the most highly used section by both men and women. In addition, women without children and highly educated women were more likely to use Infotility. No demographic, mental health or fertility characteristics were significantly associated with app use for men. Conclusion This study shows the feasibility of a mhealth app to address the psychosocial and informational needs of fertility patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skye A Miner
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Sociology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Eden N Gelgoot
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alix Lahuec
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Samantha Wunderlich
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Darryl Safo
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Felicia Brochu
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shrinkhala Dawadi
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stephanie Robins
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Laura O’Connell
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Peter Chan
- McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Carolyn Ells
- Department of Medicine McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Hananel Holzer
- Department of Medicine McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kirk Lo
- Mount Sinai Hospital University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | | | - Zeev Rosberger
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Togas Tulandi
- Department of Medicine McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Phyllis Zelkowitz
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Grunberg PH, Da Costa D, Dennis CL, O'Connell S, Lahuec A, Zelkowitz P. 'How did you cope with such concerns?': insights from a monitored online infertility peer support forum. HUM FERTIL 2021:1-15. [PMID: 34347545 DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2021.1959952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The Research Question posed was 'What coping strategies do fertility patients and trained peer supporters discuss in an online infertility peer support forum?' A thematic analysis was used to examine 244 online posts from a sample of 39 users (37 women and two men) for themes in coping with fertility-related stressors. Data were collected from Connect, a monitored online discussion forum with trained peer supporters. Connect users ranged from 27 to 44 years of age (mean = 34.38) and 33 (84.6%) were nulliparous at the time of the study. A variety of cognitive-reappraisal and practical management coping strategies was discussed across four themes: (i) balancing interpersonal relationships; (ii) partner support; (iii) uncertainty and lack of control; and (iv) positivity and negativity. Experiences of uncertainty and lack of control related to time and schedule, outcomes and waiting for physical symptoms, and the clinic. Connect users commonly discussed the helpfulness of coping strategies. Connect users actively requested experiential information about ways of coping from other patients and peer supporters, highlighting the importance of lived experience to those currently in treatment. Findings support conceptualizations of infertility coping as a process that is unique to the infertility treatment context and that may change throughout a patient's treatment. Trained peer supporters may benefit fertility patients by normalizing, reappraising, and providing practical strategies to ameliorate difficult infertility-related challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Grunberg
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Deborah Da Costa
- Department of Medicine, Centre for Outcomes Research & Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cindy-Lee Dennis
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Siobhan O'Connell
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alix Lahuec
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Phyllis Zelkowitz
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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