Maternal Mental Health
May is Maternal Mental Health Month. There are a plethora of conditions impacting mothers as well as hopeful mothers experiencing infertility. Many individuals have dreamt of becoming a parent for years before navigating the often emotional, expensive, and uncertain journey of infertility treatment. It is vital for those struggling with infertility to receive adequate support and resources for their mental health and wellbeing and rebuild the fraught relationship with their bodies.
Infertility Statistics
Infertility is clinically defined as the inability to conceive a child after at least one year of regular unprotected heterosexual intercourse. This condition can impact people of all genders, leading to increased mental health symptoms of anxiety and depression. Approximately twenty percent of married, heterosexual, cisgender women of childbearing age experience infertility. Despite how common it is, infertility remains taboo and is seldom discussed openly, exacerbating associated mental health conditions and isolation. Regardless of whether the male or female in a heterosexual relationship is struggling with infertility, the burden of treatment often falls on the woman. As a result, many hopeful mothers feel immense shame and may feel betrayed by their own bodies as a life goal they wish to fulfill lies outside of their control.
Infertility and Mental Health
The psychological toll of infertility can be devastating. Approximately half of women struggling with infertility also experience depression. These individuals are also less likely to pursue infertility treatment. In addition, depression and anxiety symptoms can make it even harder to conceive, leading to a vicious cycle. Infertility is also associated with increased stress levels as well as a range of emotions including grief, frustration, sadness, anger and guilt. Relationships can be strained as a result of infertility due to shifting expectations and social pressures related to childbearing. Fertility treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) can also have side effects that impact mental health, leading to hormone fluctuations, sleep disturbances, and mood imbalances. In addition, socioeconomic status, coping strategies, and cultural beliefs can influence how individuals choose to navigate infertility and whether or not they seek social support or treatment.
Infertility Resources
Evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, emotion-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and mind-body interventions can aid in improving depression and anxiety in both women undergoing fertility treatment as well as those who are not. It is imperative that those experiencing infertility and correlated mental health conditions give themselves permission to feel whatever emotions arise and allow space for each partner in the couple to cope differently. While there continues to be a lack of access to mental health resources for women experiencing infertility, there are opportunities to bridge the gap for mental health care and support. Infertility support groups and mental health services specializing in maternal mental health care such as Embrace Therapy can help to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms while simultaneously helping hopeful
