Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment
The experience of an infertility diagnosis and treatment imposes a profound burden on affected individuals, encompassing not only physical and medical aspects but also a plethora of psychological, social, and emotional factors. By employing a multimodal assessment featuring validated self-report que...
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/9/1894 |
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| author | Bojan Čegar Sandra Šipetić Grujičić Jovana Bjekić Aleksandar Vuksanović Nebojša Bojanić Daniela Bartolović Darko Jovanović Milica Zeković |
| author_facet | Bojan Čegar Sandra Šipetić Grujičić Jovana Bjekić Aleksandar Vuksanović Nebojša Bojanić Daniela Bartolović Darko Jovanović Milica Zeković |
| author_sort | Bojan Čegar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The experience of an infertility diagnosis and treatment imposes a profound burden on affected individuals, encompassing not only physical and medical aspects but also a plethora of psychological, social, and emotional factors. By employing a multimodal assessment featuring validated self-report questionnaires, physical measurements, and clinical records, the present study aimed to explore the quality of life and psycho-emotional distress of men undergoing infertility treatment in Serbia, thereby addressing the dearth of research on the underrepresented male perspective in this domain. Findings revealed diverse semen abnormalities among participants (n = 96, average age 37.69 ± 5.72), with significant associations between longer treatment durations and reduced sperm motility. The observed rates of men surpassing predetermined DASS-42 questionnaire thresholds for depression, anxiety, and stress in the analyzed cohort were 13.54%, 11.46%, and 22.92%, respectively. Summary scores in conceptual areas comprised in the SF-36 questionnaire ranged from 49.00 ± 6.25 for the mental health dimension to 90.16 ± 17.75 obtained in the physical functioning subscale. Patients with a longer treatment duration demonstrated lower scores in the role emotional domain, indicative of a less favorable emotional state. Expectedly, inverse correlations were found between the SF-36 mental health score and DASS-42 subscales. By addressing the existing knowledge gap and highlighting the unique needs of infertile men, the finding of this study may contribute to a more inclusive and holistic approach to infertility research and management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:33:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c871c6335d08471993f1f8c94d072478 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:33:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-c871c6335d08471993f1f8c94d0724782023-11-19T11:37:46ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292023-09-01139189410.3390/life13091894Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility TreatmentBojan Čegar0Sandra Šipetić Grujičić1Jovana Bjekić2Aleksandar Vuksanović3Nebojša Bojanić4Daniela Bartolović5Darko Jovanović6Milica Zeković7Clinic of Urology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaInstitute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaHuman Neuroscience Group, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaClinic of Urology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaClinic of Urology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaCenter for Medical Biochemistry, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaClinic of Urology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaCentre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaThe experience of an infertility diagnosis and treatment imposes a profound burden on affected individuals, encompassing not only physical and medical aspects but also a plethora of psychological, social, and emotional factors. By employing a multimodal assessment featuring validated self-report questionnaires, physical measurements, and clinical records, the present study aimed to explore the quality of life and psycho-emotional distress of men undergoing infertility treatment in Serbia, thereby addressing the dearth of research on the underrepresented male perspective in this domain. Findings revealed diverse semen abnormalities among participants (n = 96, average age 37.69 ± 5.72), with significant associations between longer treatment durations and reduced sperm motility. The observed rates of men surpassing predetermined DASS-42 questionnaire thresholds for depression, anxiety, and stress in the analyzed cohort were 13.54%, 11.46%, and 22.92%, respectively. Summary scores in conceptual areas comprised in the SF-36 questionnaire ranged from 49.00 ± 6.25 for the mental health dimension to 90.16 ± 17.75 obtained in the physical functioning subscale. Patients with a longer treatment duration demonstrated lower scores in the role emotional domain, indicative of a less favorable emotional state. Expectedly, inverse correlations were found between the SF-36 mental health score and DASS-42 subscales. By addressing the existing knowledge gap and highlighting the unique needs of infertile men, the finding of this study may contribute to a more inclusive and holistic approach to infertility research and management.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/9/1894male infertilityhealth-related quality of lifesemen examinationpsycho-emotional distress |
| spellingShingle | Bojan Čegar Sandra Šipetić Grujičić Jovana Bjekić Aleksandar Vuksanović Nebojša Bojanić Daniela Bartolović Darko Jovanović Milica Zeković Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment Life male infertility health-related quality of life semen examination psycho-emotional distress |
| title | Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment |
| title_full | Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment |
| title_short | Understanding the Male Perspective: Evaluating Quality of Life and Psychological Distress in Serbian Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment |
| title_sort | understanding the male perspective evaluating quality of life and psychological distress in serbian men undergoing infertility treatment |
| topic | male infertility health-related quality of life semen examination psycho-emotional distress |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/9/1894 |
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