Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team
Patients seeking fertility treatment are at risk of experiencing psychological distress, with both women and men reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety during infertility treatment than patients in the general population. Multiple professional societies, fertility care providers, and pati...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Women |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4184/2/1/8 |
| _version_ | 1797440714229940224 |
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| author | Megan R. Sax Angela K. Lawson |
| author_facet | Megan R. Sax Angela K. Lawson |
| author_sort | Megan R. Sax |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Patients seeking fertility treatment are at risk of experiencing psychological distress, with both women and men reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety during infertility treatment than patients in the general population. Multiple professional societies, fertility care providers, and patients have advocated for integrating mental health providers in the treatment of infertile patients in order to provide comprehensive patient-centered care. Research with other patient populations shows that embedding mental health professionals into clinics provides the greatest benefit to patients. Despite acknowledging the importance of mental health in infertility care, professional societies, such as ASRM and ESHRE, have not universally standardized recommendations or methods for imbedding mental health providers in the fertility team. This review article aims to serve as a resource for providers and patients to appraise the available literature on the importance of embedding mental health providers into the fertility treatment team and discusses feasible methods to develop this comprehensive care team. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:13:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f501faf4afb044a8a77ffa8c5621b243 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4184 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:13:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Women |
| spelling | doaj.art-f501faf4afb044a8a77ffa8c5621b2432023-11-30T22:50:33ZengMDPI AGWomen2673-41842022-03-0121687510.3390/women2010008Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care TeamMegan R. Sax0Angela K. Lawson1Department of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, University of Cincinnati, 7675 Wellness Way, Suite 315, West Chester, OH 45069, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Psychiatry, Northwestern University, NMH/Arkes Family Pavilion Suite 2310, 676 N. Saint Clair, Chicago, IL 60611, USAPatients seeking fertility treatment are at risk of experiencing psychological distress, with both women and men reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety during infertility treatment than patients in the general population. Multiple professional societies, fertility care providers, and patients have advocated for integrating mental health providers in the treatment of infertile patients in order to provide comprehensive patient-centered care. Research with other patient populations shows that embedding mental health professionals into clinics provides the greatest benefit to patients. Despite acknowledging the importance of mental health in infertility care, professional societies, such as ASRM and ESHRE, have not universally standardized recommendations or methods for imbedding mental health providers in the fertility team. This review article aims to serve as a resource for providers and patients to appraise the available literature on the importance of embedding mental health providers into the fertility treatment team and discusses feasible methods to develop this comprehensive care team.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4184/2/1/8infertilityfertility treatmentintegrated behavioral healthdepressionanxiety |
| spellingShingle | Megan R. Sax Angela K. Lawson Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team Women infertility fertility treatment integrated behavioral health depression anxiety |
| title | Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team |
| title_full | Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team |
| title_fullStr | Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team |
| title_short | Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team |
| title_sort | emotional support for infertility patients integrating mental health professionals in the fertility care team |
| topic | infertility fertility treatment integrated behavioral health depression anxiety |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4184/2/1/8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT meganrsax emotionalsupportforinfertilitypatientsintegratingmentalhealthprofessionalsinthefertilitycareteam AT angelaklawson emotionalsupportforinfertilitypatientsintegratingmentalhealthprofessionalsinthefertilitycareteam |