Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Dermatology and Venerology

Although several authors have suggested an important pathogenic role for psychosocial factors in infertility, the extent to which depression, anxiety and expressed emotional patterns correlate to infertility is not yet clear. The present study was performed to assess the impact of male infertility on the psychological wellbeing of the Egyptian infertile couples. After obtaining their consents, 50 infertile couples and 50 fertile couples answered 3 questionnaires of beck depression inventory, beck anxiety inventory and state trait anger expression test questionnaire. This was studied in relation to gender difference and duration of infertility. Statistically, results for beck depression inventory, beck anxiety inventory and state trait anger expression inventory; asignificant difference between infertile and fertile couples was found (P > 0.001). Results for correlation between depression, anxiety and anger and duration of infertility in infertile couples no significant difference was found either in males or females (P) (P > 0.05). also no statistically significant difference in depression, anxiety and anger incidence between infertile males and their wives (P > 0.05). Infertility is considered to be stressful life experience and the infertile subjects of this sample showed particular psychopathological and psychological features, independent from the stress reaction following the identification of infertility. Adequate attention to these patients psychologically is of such importance as physical attention

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