Infertility and mental health: a two-way street?

In 10 seconds: Infertility affects millions of couples around the globe. Although it is not a life-threatening issue, it is still considered a stressful life experience. It is less clear, however, whether stress itself causes infertility.

What’s the story? The impact of emotional distress on infertility treatment outcome has been considered “difficult to investigate” for several reasons, including inaccurate self-reporting and feelings of increased optimism at the onset of treatment. However, the most recent research has documented the efficacy of psychological interventions in lowering psychological distress which has been associated with significant increases in pregnancy rates.