Negative Psychological States, Coping Strategies, Self-esteem, and Life Satisfaction of Individuals with Infertility

Abstract

Infertility is when an individual experiences failure to conceive even after a year of unprotected sex; it affects millions of people not only physically but also emotionally, socially, and psychologically. It can harm a person's self-worth and overall well-being, leading to distress that is often difficult to cope with. Based on this rationale, the following objectives were formulated: the study intended to examine the gender difference and relationship between negative psychological states (stress, depression, anxiety), coping strategies, self-esteem, and life satisfaction among infertile individuals. A cross-sectional design was employed. Sixty-two participants completed self-report questionnaires that assessed life satisfaction, self-esteem, coping strategy, and negative psychological states. Independent sample t-tests and Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to explore gender differences and relationships between variables. Men revealed higher life satisfaction and self-esteem than women. Women experienced greater levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than men. Coping strategies also differed, with men relying more on problem-focused coping and women on emotion-focused coping. The correlation results showed that infertile men with higher stress, depression, anxiety, or avoidance coping reported lower life satisfaction. At the same time, greater self-esteem and problem-focused coping were associated with better life satisfaction. Among women, life satisfaction was lower when stress, depression, anxiety, or emotion-focused coping was higher, but higher when self-esteem was strong. Stress was closely positively tied to depression, anxiety, and emotion-focused coping, while self-esteem showed a significant negative association with depression and anxiety. It underscores the importance of gender sensitive interventions in addressing the unique challenges and psychological needs faced by infertile men and women.