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Characteristics of the Biopsychosocial Crisis of Infertility
Author(s) -
COOK ELLEN PIEL
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of counseling and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.805
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1556-6676
pISSN - 0748-9633
DOI - 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1987.tb00756.x
Subject(s) - infertility , biopsychosocial model , denial , feeling , coping (psychology) , psychology , grief , empathy , medicine , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychotherapist , developmental psychology , pregnancy , genetics , biology
As many as 5 to 12 million individuals of childbearing age in the United States may now be infertile. For couples who wish to conceive but cannot do so, discovery of physical infertility, coupled with strong expectations about conceiving and raising children, sets the stage for a complex series of reactions labeled here as the crisis of infertility. Infertile couples frequently struggle with strong feelings, ranging from disbelief and denial to isolation, guilt, and grief. Problems coping with infertility are worsened by physical and psychological stresses accompanying medical procedures. The marital relationship may be severely tested as well. For many individuals, the infertility crisis is resolved with virtually no support from anyone. With empathy and understanding, counselors can help infertile individuals to work through this crisis productively .