title: Efficacy of psychosocial interventions for psychological and pregnancy outcomes in infertile women and men: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the evidence on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for improving pregnancy rates and reducing distress for couples in treatment with assisted reproductive technology (ART).
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review and meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library between 1978 and April 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were considered eligible if they evaluated the effect of any psychosocial intervention on clinical pregnancy and/or distress in infertile participants, used a quantitative approach and were published in English.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study characteristics and results were extracted and the methodological quality was assessed. Effect sizes (ES; Hedges g) were pooled using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q statistic and I(2), and publication bias was evaluated using Egger's method. Possible moderators and mediators were explored with meta-analyses of variances (ANOVAs) and meta-regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 39 eligible studies (total N=2746 men and women) assessing the effects of psychological treatment on pregnancy rates and/or adverse psychological outcomes, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, infertility stress and marital function. Statistically significant and robust overall effects of psychosocial intervention were found for both clinical pregnancy (risk ratio=2.01; CI 1.48 to 2.73; p<0.001) and combined psychological outcomes (Hedges g=0.59; CI 0.38 to 0.80; p=0.001). The pooled ES for psychological outcomes were generally larger for women (g: 0.51 to 0.73) than men (0.13 to 0.34), but the difference only reached statistical significance for depressive symptoms (p=0.004). Meta-regression indicated that larger reductions in anxiety were associated with greater improvement in pregnancy rates (Slope 0.19; p=0.004). No clear-cut differences were found between effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT; g=0.84), mind-body interventions (0.61) and other intervention types (0.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present meta-analysis suggests that psychosocial interventions for couples in treatment for infertility, in particular CBT, could be efficacious, both in reducing psychological distress and in improving clinical pregnancy rates.
authors: Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Yoon
authors: Y
authors: Frederiksen
authors: Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Ingeborg
authors: I
authors: Farver-Vestergaard
authors: Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Ninna Grønhøj
authors: NG
authors: Skovgård
authors: Skejby Fertility Clinic, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Hans Jakob
authors: HJ
authors: Ingerslev
authors: Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Zachariae
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology*; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Infertility; Psychosocial intervention; distress; pregnancy
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