EFFECT OF RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS AND ISOLATION ON MENTAL HEALTH OF INFERTILE WOMEN
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of relationship dynamics and isolation on mental health of infertile women.
METHODS: This correlational study was conducted on pregnant women from January 2018 to December 2018. About 150 infertile women in the age range 18 to 50 years were enrolled from selected infertility centers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. Three different scales like Relationship Dynamics Scale (RDS), Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (RULS) and Mental Health Inventory (MHI) were used in this study. Multiple Regression, Pearson Correlation Matrix and T-test were applied on study variables using SPSS v.21.0.
RESULTS: Infertile women with uterus issue are higher on relationship dynamics scale (M= 16.16±3.18), UCLA loneliness scale (M= 50.87±8.80), and on components of mental health inventory e.g., positive affect (M=17.29±3.58). Infertile women with tube issues are higher on MHI, e.g., anxiety (M=18.91±3.47), depression (M=15.58±3.34) and behavioral control (M=17.83±2.55). Linear regression analysis showed significant negative effect of relationship dynamic scale that brought about 32.5% change in anxiety, 4% in depression, 4.4% change in behavior control, and 5.7% change in positive affect which are four major components of mental health (p<.001). Loneliness scale also showed negative effect on components of mental health that brought about 23.4% variance in anxiety, 2.2% in depression, 12.8% in behavior control, and 16.8% in positive among infertile women (p< .001).
CONCLUSION: Infertile women having more relationship dynamics were found to be low on depression, anxiety, behavior control and positive affect. Infertile women facing more isolation have less positive affect and behavior control.
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