title: An Analysis of the Concept of Partnership in the Couples Undergoing Infertility Treatment.
abstract: The elements of a partnership in the couples undergoing infertility treatment are not well understood. This article aims to fill the gap by using Rodger's evolutionary method of concept analysis. The attributes of the concept partnership that were identified are a process of joint hardship, sharing, intracouple communication, and mutual support. The antecedents are love and attraction for each other, agreement, and interpersonal skills. The consequences are marital benefit, improvement in psychological status, and quality of life. A middle-range model for partnership in relationship to infertile couples is proposed. The understanding of the phenomenon of partnership will enable the researchers to develop interventions, identify the appropriate assessment instruments, and to determine directions for future research on effort to support infertile couples through their hardship.
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing , The Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hong Kong , China.|b School of Nursing , Zhejiang Chinese Medical University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang , China.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing , The Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hong Kong , China.
authors.forename: Alice Yuen
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Loke
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult