Cohesion and adaptability among individuals under treatment for infertility.
The objective of this study was to evaluate cohesion and adaptability as relationship patterns of individuals in the presence or absence of infertility. Infertile subjects (20 men and 26 women, age 29.9 yr., SD = 3.8), and 100 fertile individuals (52 men and 48 women, age 29.5 yr., SD = 3.6) were included in this cross-sectional study conducted in Brazil. Subjects were married for the first time and had no children. The pattern of relationship (cohesion and adaptability) was assessed on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III). Subjects were also interviewed and the interviews tape-recorded and analyzed by independent and blinded senior psychiatrists. The concepts of cohesion and adaptability did not differentiate infertile couples from fertile ones. Further, the recorded interviews also resulted in heterogeneous. nonconcordant judgments. These results lead to two conclusions: that awareness of infertility is not present in the population studied or that it is present but the magnitude of its effect is quite small and that FACES III and the interview focus on adaptability and cohesion are not sensitive enough to measure the difficulties in these couples' relationships. This leads us to reflect on the type of psychiatric support available to infertile couples.
Hidalgo
Maria Paz Loayza
MP
Graduate Program in Internal Medicine, Behavioral Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. mpaz@cpovo.net
Caleffi
Lorena
L
Baron
Ana
A
Mattana
Eunice
E
Chaves
Marcia Lorena F
ML
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012099:Reproductive Techniques / Q000523:psychology*