The Problem Associated With Infertility

Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school or cope with daily

Depression is characterized by depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in weight or appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, or recurrent thoughts of death. A diagnosis of major depressive disorder requires the presence of five or more symptoms during the same two-week period and

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (2005), approximately 10% to 15% of couples would experience infertility in some form. Infertility occurs when a couple tries to have children without any success (Chandra, 2005). Though most cases of infertility can be attributed to physiological factors in one or both partners, it still has a psychological impact on the relationship. The psychological and mental effects of fertility are present in both men and women, but there are options to help a couple get through it.

Examples of this include someone having a decreased interest in activities followed by low levels of energy and or high levels of fatigue. They may also experience insomnia like symptoms which results in a scattered sleeping times furthermore negatively effecting the circadian rhythm. Reports of being extremely bored and having difficulties in concentration also are very likely in a state of depression. Lastly, increased thoughts of death or suicide are common when a person is experiencing a depressed

Infertility carry’s a “silent stigma” as it has no visible outward physical signs; therefore it is important that nurses are mindful of the vocabulary and assumptions they make when working with childless female clients. Gray et al. (2014) acknowledged that nurses are uniquely situated to assist with the emotional and psychological effects of treatment, as they are often the primary contact for patients undergoing infertility treatments. Nurses can assist these women is by facilitating the access to trained psychological counselors; counselling services have been found to improve quality of life, and decrease symptoms of depression for women undergoing infertility treatments (Gray et al., 2014). In addition, it is important that nurses take

What is Infertility? Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child after 12 months of regular intercourse without contraception. Infertility plays a huge role in the lives of couples that want to start a family. In the United States, more than two million couples seek help for infertility related issues. Of these two million couples, 40,000 of them try some form of advanced technique, such as in vitro fertilization to overcome this obstacle. But with the knowledge we have from the past, the options made available today, and expected advancements, infertility may become a thing of the past (Santrock, John, 2015, p.61).

After reviewing the case of my patient Tom, I have come to the conclusion that he suffers from depression. At this stage of analysis of this case, we can look at the symptoms and signs shown by the patient and match them with the symptoms and signs of depression. Looking at the DSM IV (Diagnostic Statistic Manual 4) we can understand that the most basic symptoms of depression include loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities for more than two weeks, being in a mood that is different from

As stated by Jansen and Saint Onge (2015) the “frequent conflation of motherhood with womanhood and cultural expectations of completed fertility” contribute to infertility related stigma (p. 184). There are three types of stigma that a women can experience when dealing with infertility: enacted, internalized, and anticipated

The current American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), criteria for the diagnosis of depression include: (1) changes in appetite and weight; (2) disturbed sleep; (3) motor agitation or retardation; (4) fatigue and loss of energy; (5) depressed or irritable mood; (6) loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities; (7) feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach, excessive guilt; (8) suicidal thinking or attempts; and (9) difficulty with thinking or concentration. (Espinoza & Kaufman, 2014, p.2).

When a person is depressed, the primary characteristic is a subjective awareness of mood change: the person has an ongoing feeling of sadness or emptiness. This feeling is often accompanied by eating disturbances, feelings of hopelessness, inability to concentrate, indecisiveness, sleep disturbances, lost interest in enjoyable activities, psychomotor retardation, fatigue, sluggishness or lethargy, and is often co-morbid with other disorders, especially anxiety.

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person 's thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well-being. People with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, ashamed or restless. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt or commit suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, aches, pains, digestive problems or reduced energy may also be present. Depressed mood is a feature of some psychiatric syndromes such as major depressive disorder, but it may also be a normal reaction to life events such as grief, a symptom of some bodily ailments or a side effect of some drugs and medical treatments.

The stress of infertility has the ability to impact a marriage. The couples talk about the negative and positive impact of the experience on their relationships. Open communication or lack thereof has the potential to strengthen or impact how the couples experience infertility alone and together.

Infertility is a common condition that affects individuals worldwide. The global rates of infertility have not changed between 1990- 2010. The global prevalence is difficult to assess since both male and female factors can contribute to the condition; it was estimated that 48.5 million couples worldwide were unable to have a successful pregnancy [1]. An evaluation of responses from women in Demographic and Health Surveys from 1990 was completed in cooperation with WHO in 2004 resulted in the conclusion that one in every four couples in developing countries had been found to be affected by infertility [2].

Fertility is impaired in as many men as women. The problem lies within the man a third of the time, another third of the time within the women, and the remaining third is usually a combination of the two (Youngkin, 1997). Health professionals emphasize the need for infertile couples to recognize the problem as "our" problem instead of "mine" or "your" problem. It is less emotionally damaging this way. For these reasons, both partners should be evaluated when a decision is made to make an attempt at conceiving.

In Ghana, fertility is considered to be the norm and for this reason, an issue such as infertility is hardly ever a topic of discussion, infertile women do not seek help/treatment for fear of being stigmatized. Jonathan Adabre, a policy analyst at the Integrated Social Development Center states "these women are treated with scorn, they are insulted, and they can’t speak their mind in public.” (Mantey, 2013). Furthermore, high expectations are placed on a woman to produce a child within their first year of marriage because regnancy and childbirth are viewed as a way of proving womanhood. For the woman who successfully carries pregnancy to term, a natural vaginal delivery at home is expected and she is considered strong and independent if she can deliver the