Table 1. Psychosocial Impact of Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) on Beneficiaries.
Author, year country Questions/groups analyzed Main findings
Tendais & Figueiredo, 2016 Portugal Comparison of levels of anxiety and depression in pregnancy and postpartum in couples undergoing fertility treatment Parents after fertility treatments showed higher levels of anxiety, and these levels increased even more in the postpartum period. Male subjects showed no statistically significant differences.
Hammarberg et al., 2008 Psychosocial aspects of pregnancy, birth and the first year postpartum after conception by ART Individuals who engage to ART have similar levels of depression compared to the rest of the population. As far as anxiety is concerned, the evidence is equivocal, with general anxiety levels being similar to those who conceive naturally. However specific anxieties, about pregnancy safety and fetal health, are higher in women who engage to ART, especially those who have experienced more treatment failures and greater infertility-related stress.
Verhaak et al., 2007b Netherlands Evaluation of long-term psychological adaptation to fertility treatments Treatments that resulted in pregnancy led to better emotional adjustment. In addition, most of the women who did not become pregnant adjusted well psychologically, returning to baseline levels after an initial increase in anxiety. This positive adaptation was related to the development of new life goals.
Cox et al., 2006 United Kingdom Investigation of self-esteem in pregnancy after infertility and its correlation with anxiety Women who underwent IVF showed similar levels of selfesteem to those who conceived naturally.
Holter et al., 2006 Sweden Evaluation of couples' shortterm emotional response to their first IVF treatment Those who don't achieve pregnancy report worse emotional state, while those who do achieve pregnancy feel better than they did at the start of the treatment. This effect is especially noticeable in women, but male partners react with the same emotional pattern. Most couples reported an improvement in their marital relationship during treatment.
Crespo & Bestard, 2017 Spain Evaluation of the transition period between infertility and parenthood Couples who undergo ART show greater anxiety. This is attributed to a complexity of reasons, including the period of infertility and the number of treatment attempts, the confrontation with the unexpected need for donor gametes, the risk of medical complications, and the relationship with the partner and/or social support.
Dann, 2014 New Zealand Evaluation of the experience of first-time pregnancy and motherhood after repeated fertility treatments (≥3) Infertility is an experience with major psychosocial impact on women who go through it, and it does not disappear even after a confirmed pregnancy. These women tend to develop better coping mechanisms, and the experience of repeated failed treatments and pregnancy losses has an impact on how they welcome pregnancy and make the transition to motherhood.
Peterson et al., 2008 Denmark Investigating the impact of the partner’s coping strategies on the experience of infertility The way an individual deals with infertility plays a fundamental role in the way their partner deals with it. The use of active avoidance is related to an increase in personal, marital and social anxiety for both men and women. When a woman uses the active confrontation mechanism, marital stress increases.
Brandão et al., 2023 Review of the impact of the ROPA method (Receipt of Oocytes from the Partner) The ROPA method’s impact on the parenting relationship is still uncertain and not studied enough.
Voultsos et al., 2019, Greece Evaluation of the experience and attitude towards motherhood in lesbian women Lesbian women tend to desire having biological children, as they feel that pregnancy would bring them a sense of fulfillment. They also report the negative impact of social oppression and prejudice on their reproductive autonomy.
Pelka, 2009 United States of America Evaluation of feelings of jealousy in lesbian couples in cases of shared maternity Feelings of jealousy are reported in couples of women who engage to single-parent methods, related to factors such as both wanting to be the biological mother, perception of unequal biological ties to the child, and infertility.
Söderström- Anttila et al., 2016 Review of the outcomes of surrogacy for mothers, children, and the motherchild relationship Most surrogate pregnancies are successful, and most gestational carriers are motivated and have no difficulty separating from their newborn. The perinatal outcome for the children is comparable to other children born after ART.