Life satisfaction of women in early stages of fertility treatment.
As many women perceive motherhood to be a central component of identity that enhances life satisfaction, difficulties conceiving may lead to stress. This study examined women in the early stages of fertility treatment to ascertain the relations of perceived stress, cognitive appraisal, and self-mastery to the life satisfaction of women embarking on fertility treatment and whether the associations were the same for women who were already mothers versus those who were not. Women were recruited for the study over a period of 18 months, from January 2013 to June 2014. The final sample was composed of 145 women; of these, 67 had 1 or 2 children and 78 had no children. No significant differences were found in perceived stress and life satisfaction between women with and without children. However, in the sample as a whole, higher levels of self-mastery and lower levels of stress were associated with greater life satisfaction. Moreover, the associations between self-mastery and cognitive appraisals of threat and self-efficacy were mediated by perceived stress. The findings highlight the importance of developing interventions at fertility clinics that begin at the very first point of contact to promote the psychological well-being of women being treated for infertility.
a The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work , Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel.
Shirley
S
Ben Shlomo
a The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work , Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel.
Mor
M
Pascal
a The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work , Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel.
Orit
O
Taubman Ben-Ari
b The Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.|c Maccabi Healthcare , Tel Aviv , Israel.
Yoseph
Y
Azuri
b The Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.|c Maccabi Healthcare , Tel Aviv , Israel.
Eran
E
Horowtz
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Fertility treatment; life satisfaction; women