Effects of Using a Nursing Crisis Intervention Program on Psychosocial Responses and Coping Strategies of Infertile Women During In Vitro Fertilization

Infertility and its treatment may cause life crises in infertile women. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a crisis intervention program on improving psychosocial responses and enhancing coping strategies for infertile women attending different stages of an In-Vitro Fertilization V Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET) treatment program. Using an experimental study design, infertile women attending an IVF-ET treatment program were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, infertile women completed and answered a questionnaire and received nursing crisis intervention at the initial stage of treatment (day 3). This included (1). viewing a video explaining the therapeutic process of IVF-ET, (2). self-hypnosis and muscle relaxation training, and (3). provision of cognitive-behavioral counseling. The same questionnaire was used again for subjects at the stage of embryo transfer and before taking a pregnancy test. The women in the control group were only interviewed using the same questionnaire and at the same times as the experimental group. Analysis by repeated measurement ANOVA demonstrated that there was a reduction in psychosocial response in terms of interpersonal relationships, and there was an interaction between intervention effects and stage of treatment. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the level of psychosocial responses between the experimental and control groups although some meaningful findings were made. However, in terms of state of anxiety, confrontational problems, and isolated mind/body relaxation, there were significant differences between the two groups of infertile women at some stages of IVF-ET treatment. The women in the experimental group perceived a positive effect of the nursing intervention in relieving their psychosocial responses. The results of this nursing crisis intervention could be helpful in nursing practice when dealing with infertile women attending IVF treatment programs.