Mindful Self-Compassion for Infertility-Related Distress: A Single-Group Intervention Study

Women experiencing infertility report heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and distress. However, access to affordable mental health care is limited in most areas of the world. Self-directed interventions, including bibliotherapy and mobile app-delivered interventions, provide a potentially cost-effective option for the treatment of infertility-related distress. This study assessed the efficacy of an 8-week self-directed mindful self-compassion intervention in reducing psychological distress and improving quality of life.

Fifty women experiencing infertility agreed to participate in a pre-post single-group intervention study. Fertility-related quality of life, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, self-compassion, and relationship satisfaction were assessed immediately after the intervention and again 1 month later.

The intervention was well accepted. Only 5% dropped out of the program prematurely, and participants read an average of 18 out of 25 assigned book chapters. Expectancy and credibility scores were high, as were treatment satisfaction ratings. Reported levels of fertility-related quality of life (d = 0.81), mindfulness (d = 0.79), and self-compassion (d = 0.84) all increased, while levels of anxiety (d = 0.64) and depression (d = 0.69) significantly declined following the intervention. These changes were maintained at the 1-month follow-up. Compassion for others and relationship satisfaction were high at baseline and did not change following completion of the intervention.

This 8-week self-directed mindfulness self-compassion intervention appears to be a promising treatment for emotional distress related to infertility.