Personality and intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning of women starting their first IVF treatment.
BACKGROUND
IVF treatment involves a reassessment of issues concerning autonomy and relatedness. This study aims to extend prior studies on the psychological impact of IVF/ICSI by studying the association between the personality dimensions of Self-Criticism and Dependency with the psychological well-being and quality of the couple relationship for women starting their first IVF treatment.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study of 68 women starting their first IVF treatment at the Leuven University Fertility Centre of the University of Leuven, Belgium. All women were administered validated self-report measures assessing Self-Criticism and Dependency, negative life events, psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and relationship and sexual concerns. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated between all study variables, followed by four separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses for psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and relationship and sexual concerns.


RESULTS
High Self-Criticism was negatively associated with psychological well-being (r = -0.63, P < 0.001) and relationship satisfaction (r = -0.29, P < 0.05), and positively associated with relationship (r = 0.39, P < 0.01) and sexual (r = 0.37, P < 0.01) concerns. High Dependency was negatively associated with psychological well-being (r = -0.30, P < 0.05), not significantly associated with relationship satisfaction and relationship concerns, and positively related to sexual concerns (r = 0.31, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This cross-sectional study suggests that the personality dimensions of Self-Criticism and Dependency may enhance our understanding of the psychological well-being and quality of the couple relationship of women starting their first IVF treatment. However, further prospective research on this topic is needed.
Lowyck
B
B
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. benedicte.lowyck@psy.kuleuven.be
Luyten
P
P
Corveleyn
J
J
D'Hooghe
T
T
Demyttenaere
K
K
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010551:Personality; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires