title: Well-being and relationship satisfaction of couples dealing with an in vitro fertilization/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure: a multilevel approach on the role of self-criticism, dependency, and romantic attachment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To extend existing research on the psychological impact of IVF by studying the association between the psychosocial factors of self-criticism and dependency, and romantic attachment, with the well-being and relationship satisfaction of couples across the different phases of IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, three-wave study (i.e., from start of IVF/ICSI treatment, to 3- and 6-month follow-up).
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy couples in IVF/ICSI treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychometric tests were administered at first visit of IVF/ICSI treatment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results demonstrated that preexisting psychosocial factors such as self-criticism, dependency, and romantic attachment are more important factors for psychological well-being and relationship satisfaction during IVF/ICSI than gender and treatment-related factors such as duration of fertility problems. In addition, multilevel analysis, a statistical method that is required for the analysis of longitudinal couple data and decomposes variation in three levels (i.e., time, individuals, and couples), showed more variation in psychological well-being and relationship satisfaction between couples, than between individuals and different time measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preexisting personality factors and being embedded within a certain couple relationship are important factors for the psychological well-being and relationship satisfaction during IVF/ICSI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Benedicte.Lowyck@psy.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lowyck
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corveleyn
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Hooghe
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buyse
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Demyttenaere
mesh_terms: D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009769:Object Attachment; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome