A psychosocial description of a select group of infertile couples

Increasing attention in the literature has focused on the relationship between psychosocial factors and infertility. This study presents a psychosocial profile of infertile couples over a two-year period. During this period, psychosocial data including life change, social support, and personality traits were obtained prospectively from 134 individuals participating in the In Vitro Fertilization Program of the Jones Institute of Reproductive Medicine at the Eastern Virginia Medical School. Instruments utilized included the Life Experiences Survey, the Family APGAR, the Friends APGAR, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, and the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Despite the presumed adverse psychological influence of their infertility, Life Experience Survey scores for both men and women did not differ significantly from normative data. Family APGAR scores indicated a high degree of satisfaction with family function. Friends APGAR scores were somewhat lower than normative data. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, a measure of perception regarding factors influencing health outcomes, was unremarkable. The Eysenck Personality Inventory revealed a lower score on the neuroticism scale for the men. These psychosocial results were surprisingly normal.