Depression and ineffective reproduction, i.e. psychiatric aspects of infertility

Depressive disorders are one of the most common psychiatric problems in the general population, and they often also affect people struggling with infertility. It has been proven that this problem is widespread in many countries around the world and affects both women and men, but with greater intensity of depressive symptoms in infertile women. Assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization, are a key method in the treatment of infertility, but they may also increase the risk of depression related to unsuccessful conception attempts. Antidepressants, especially SSRIs commonly used to treat symptoms of depression, can have many negative effects on fertility, but the risk of infertility is statistically lower with drug therapy than with untreated depression. Psychological support, including psychotherapy, can be an important element of infertility treatment, increasing the chances of getting pregnant by relieving stress, reducing the severity of symptoms of mental disorders, and thus improving the quality of life. The following study aims to provide information on the interdependence between depression and infertility, highlight the scale of the phenomenon of co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and infertility, and present directions for counteracting this problem.