According to research published by the National Institutes of Health, a growing number of men and women of reproductive age are experiencing infertility. Experts anticipate that this trend will continue through 2040. Along with making it difficult to grow families, infertility also affects mental health.
“One in six people suffer from infertility, and it’s really hard to go through,” says Dr. Elizabeth Anne Grill, director of psychological services at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine. “There’s a very high incidence of anxiety and depression, as the impact of infertility touches every aspect of a person’s life.”
What Connects Infertility and Mental Health
There are many reasons infertility leads to psychological distress, depressive symptoms and other mental health issues. Two that Dr. Grill sees regularly include:
- Loss of control. “In Manhattan, people are used to being in control of their lives,” Dr. Grill says. “Even when they do everything right, they may not get pregnant or they may miscarry. That really wreaks havoc on people’s sense of control.”
- Roller coaster emotions. Sometimes, reproductive medicine options, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), result in a successful pregnancy the first time it’s attempted. Not always. It can take a long time to get pregnant, and the pregnancy can end in miscarriage. These exceptional highs and lows can be difficult to process.
Managing the Mental Health Challenges Brought by Infertility
Men and women with infertility can feel alone and embarrassed. They may not admit the problem to others. This can allow difficult feelings to fester and grow.
If you experience infertility, Dr. Grill offers three tips to reduce its effect on your mental health.
- Acknowledge the pain. Dr. Grill states that going through IVF produces the same psychological distress as a terminal cancer diagnosis. If you’re going through infertility treatments, be open about the highs and lows of your journey.
- Build boundaries. There’s always more to learn about assisted reproductive technology, but information overload can cause anxiety and other problems. Learn to rely on your medical team and a few carefully curated websites. Additionally, if your closest family and friends aren’t supportive, consider seeking support elsewhere.
- Communicate with your partner. Everyone grieves differently. This can cause tension when women undergoing IVF don’t feel supported by their partner. To reduce the risk of relationship problems, be empathetic toward your partner and respect the other’s differences.
Care about a couple facing infertility? Move toward them, not away.
“When someone has an infertility diagnosis, they often get radio silence,” Dr. Grill says. However, the best friends don’t go quiet. Instead, Dr. Grill says they “understand the shame and isolation this condition can bring and wrap around them for support.”
Conclusion
A growing number of Americans are experiencing infertility. If you’re one of them, your mental health may be at risk as well.
- There are many reasons infertility produces anxiety and other mental health challenges. Two common ones include dealing with the loss of control and the emotional roller coaster that comes with fertility problems.
- You can reduce the effect of infertility on your mental health by acknowledging the pain, protecting yourself from information overload or unsupportive loved ones and communicating clearly with your partner.
Are you experiencing infertility? Find a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine to help you along every step of your journey.
