The role of psychological factors in predicting infertility treatment success
Szabó Georgina Irén
Mental Health Sciences Division
Dr. Bódizs Róbert
SE Pszichiátriai és Pszichoterápiás Klinika tanterme
2025-09-30 10:00:00
Psychiatry
Dr. Réthelyi János
Dr. Gonda Xénia
Dr. Vincze Ágnes
Dr. Dombi Edina
Dr. Ács Nándor
Dr. Haluska-Vass Edit
Dr. Somlai Zsuzsa
Infertility has a multifactorial background, where both physiological and psychological factors play a role in development and outcome. While affective temperaments have been linked to the onset, progression, and treatment outcomes of various medical conditions, their specific relationship with infertility and its treatment has remained unexplored. Also, identifying possible mediating factors through which they exert their influence is still lacking. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that adherence to recommended treatments may be such a mediator. Our studies aimed to investigate 1) the effect of affective temperaments on treatment adherence using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach, followed by a retrospective cohort study evaluating 2) the influence of affective temperaments on fertility treatment, and thereafter a mediation analysis to evaluate 3) whether adherence to physician-prescribed diet and physical activity recommendations mediates the effect of affective temperaments on infertility treatment outcomes among women attempting assisted reproduction. Our results showed that 1) certain affective temperaments predict treatment non-adherence and, thus, impact overall treatment outcomes both in psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations; 2) affective temperaments play a substantial role in determining the success of infertility treatments; and 3) certain affective temperaments are associated with lower adherence to dietary recommendations, which in turn appears to decrease the likelihood of achieving a successful fertility outcome. In clinical practice, the TEMPS-A questionnaire may serve as a valuable screening tool to identify individuals at elevated risk for non-adherence and support them in increasing their adherence in both psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations. In the case of assisted reproduction, screening for affective temperaments could enable healthcare providers working in ART centers to identify high-risk subgroups, thereby facilitating a more personalized and cost-effective approach to care. As adherence to diet is a modifiable risk factor of infertility treatment success, assessing affective temperaments before initiating IVF could help to identify high-risk non-adherent patient groups and offer patient-tailored mental health support or interventions targeting non-adherence, which may help increase the chances of a successful pregnancy and live birth in women undergoing IVF treatment.
