Psychological screening and the success of donor insemination

In a previous case series, a psychologist's rating of couples' emotional adjustment and readiness for donor insemination was predictive of pregnancy rates. We attempted to replicate this finding with an extended series of 120 consecutive couples in which each spouse filled out questionnaires when evaluated for donor insemination. The Stress and Infertility Questionnaire measured specific attitudes and anxieties about donor insemination. The Brief Symptom Inventory assessed psychological distress. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale measured marital happiness. A psychologist used these questionnaires to rate the couple's overall adjustment in regard to donor insemination. Those couples rated as distressed had a session of psychological counselling. Outcome was reviewed at a mean of 20 months after evaluation, with categories of pregnancy, continuing donor insemination, failure to begin the programme, or dropped out. For the 120 couples overall, psychological factors did not predict pregnancy outcome. Younger age of the wife did predict higher pregnancy rates.