How Does Fertility Stress Influence Depressive Symptoms in Female Partners of Infertile Couples in China? A Parallel...

This study aims to explore the impact of fertility stress on depressive symptoms, with a focus on analyzing the potential mediating effects of infertility stigma and family function in this process.

A cross-sectional design was employed in which 1294 female partners of infertile couples were recruited from two tertiary-grade A hospitals in Hainan Province, China. Fertility stress, depressive symptoms, infertility stigma, and family function were assessed with validated self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the direct effect of fertility stress and the parallel mediating effects of infertility stigma and family function.

The prevalence rate of depressive symptoms was 26.35%. The direct effect model indicated a significant positive association between fertility stress and depressive symptoms (β = 0.260, p < 0.001). The parallel mediation model revealed that infertility stigma (β = 0.176, p < 0.001) and family function (β = 0.052, p < 0.001) exerted full mediating effects. Specifically, fertility stress indirectly increased depressive symptoms by exacerbating infertility stigma; concurrently, low levels of family function exacerbated the negative impact of fertility stress on mental health.

Fertility stress not only directly affects depressive symptoms, but also indirectly exacerbates depressive symptoms by intensifying infertility stigma and impairing family function. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the mental health mechanism in female partners of infertile couples, emphasizing that psychological interventions need to simultaneously focus on reducing infertility stigma and improving family function, which may offer a basis for informing relevant clinical practices and public health policies.