Predictive Role of Representations on Interpersonal Life Satisfaction During In Vitro Fertilization Cycles

Introduction Research on representations and their associations with psychological adjustment during the experience of infertility and its treatment has mostly focused on the intrapersonal level. As both partners are involved in and affected by the infertility and its treatment, the aim of the current study was to expand this research and investigate the role of representations on emotional adaptation at an interpersonal level in the light of the Common-Sense Model. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study included infertile couples undergoing oocyte retrieval for an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle in an assisted reproduction unit in Heraklion, Greece (57 couples) and an infertility center in Athens, Greece (33 couples). Participants filled in the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) regarding the timeline, consequences, personal and treatment control over infertility, problem coherence, and emotional representations. The Spearman Rho test was chosen to examine the correlations between the representations of IPQ-R and satisfaction with life of infertile men and women. The predictive role of one partner's perceptions on the other partner's positive psychological adaptation was examined through multiple linear regression models. Results Correlations were detected between representations of one partner and the life satisfaction of the other partner. During IVF, men's satisfaction with life was predicted by women's cognitive representations regarding timeline (Β = 0.200, p=0.009). Women's satisfaction with life was predicted by men's perceptions about treatment control over the fertility problem (Β = -0.226, p=0.033). Conclusion One partner's positive psychological adjustment was predicted by his/her partner's representations of the fertility problem. Examining positive emotions, such as satisfaction with life, is important in order to evaluate the psychological adjustment of infertile couples and to design psychological theory-based interventions to help infertile couples improve their well-being during the stressful experience of IVF cycles.