title: General psychopathology, anxiety, depression and self-esteem in couples undergoing infertility treatment: a comparative study between men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare measures of psychological distress between men and women undergoing ART in the Unit of Reproductive Medicine "UMR" in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at "Farhat Hached" Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a gender comparative study of psychological profile in infertile couples. Recruitment was done during period from January to May 2009. 100 infertile couples with primary infertility were recruited. Scores of general psychopathology, depression, anxiety and self-esteem were evaluated. We administrated questionnaires on psychological factors among infertile couples before starting a new infertility treatment cycle. Psychological factors included the symptom check-list (SCL-90-R), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD-S) and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infertile women had higher scores than their spouses in the three global scores of the SCL-90-R and in several items such as somatisation, obsessive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity and phobias. Scores of HADS were higher among women for both depression and anxiety. Scores of self-esteem were lower among women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women endorsed higher psychological distress than men across multiple symptoms domains: general psychopathology, anxiety, depression and self esteem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia. yousri.elkissi@rns.tn
authors.forename: Yousri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: El Kissi
authors.forename: Asma Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Romdhane
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hidar
authors.forename: Souhail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bannour
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ayoubi Idrissi
authors.forename: Hedi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khairi
authors.forename: Bechir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ben Hadj Ali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014416:Tunisia