The effect of infertility-related stress on Chinese infertile females' mental health: The moderating role of marital adjustment

Although the impacts of infertility-related stress on mental health have been testified in the literature, the underlying mechanism between them is still not clear. In response to this issue, 286 Chinese women who were pursuing medical treatment for fertility problems in two state-owned hospitals were invited to complete the survey, including the 7-item Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI), the 5-item Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5), and demographic variables (e.g., age). The multiple linear regression method (SPSS 16) was used to investigate the impact of infertility-related stress and marital satisfaction on infertile women's mental health. Results showed that the total FPI score-and the specific domains of Social Concern, Relationship Concern, and Rejection of Child-Free Lifestyle in particular-had a significant negative relation with infertile women's mental health and marital satisfaction as a moderator between them. Therefore, the core of marital relationship and specific infertility-related stress should be addressed in psychological intervention programs for people facing infertility in mainland China.