Author | Country | Participants (N) I: intervention C: control assigned (final analysis) (men %) | Study design | Intervention type* | Intervention category† | Intervention format | Number of sessions | Intervention duration (weeks) | Outcome: psychological‡ IS: infertility stress A: anxiety D: depression MF: marital function | Outcome: pregnancy§ (+/−) | Quality score¶ J: Jadad 0–5 MJ: modified Jadad 0–12 J (MJ) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
O’Moore et al79 | Ireland, UK | I: 30 (22) (50%) C: 20 (20) (50%) | NRCT | Autogenic training | MBI | Group | 8 | 8 | D: BDI A: STAI | − | 1 (4) |
Lukse62 | USA | I: 29 (29 (14)) | UCT | Counselling | Other | Group | 6 | 6 | D: DES | − | 0 (3) |
Sarrel and DeCherney86 | USA | I: 20 (10) C: 20 (9) | NRCT | Psychotherapeutic interview | Other | Couples | 1 | 1 | + | 0 (1) | |
Domar et al63 | USA | I: 54 (54) | UCT | Mind/body programme | MBI | Group | 10 | 10 | A: STAI | − | 0 (3) |
Domar et al64 | USA | I: 52 (41) | UCT | Behavioural medicine programme for infertility | MBI | Group | 10 | 10 | A: STAI | − | 1 (3) |
Galletly et al82 | Australia | I: 37 (37) | UCT | Treatment programme | Other | Group | 24 | 24 | D: HADS A: HADS | − | 1 (3) |
McQueeney et al80 | USA | I: 20 (20) C: 9 (9) | NRCT | Emotion-focused and problem-focused therapies | Other | Group | 6 | 6 | IS: ISD D: BDI | − | 3 (7) |
Tuschen-Caffier et al41 | Germany | I: 34 (22) C: 24 (24) | NRCT | CBT | CBT | Couples | 10–12 | 32 | IS: one item MF: one item | − | 1 (4) |
Domar et al78 95 | USA | I: 56 (20) C: 63 (14) | RCT | Psychological intervention | MBI | Group | 10 | 10 | D: BDI A: STAI | + | 4 (10) |
Terzioglu91 | Turkey | I: 60 (60) (50%) C: 60 (60) (50%) | RCT | Counselling | Other | Individual | 5 | 5 | D: BDI A: STAI | + | 2 (5) |
Hosaka et al87 | Japan | I: 37 (37) C: 37 (37) | NRCT | Structured intervention | MBI | Group | 5 | 5 | + | 3 (6) | |
McNaughton-Cassill et al96 | USA | I: 43 (43)(39.5%) C: 37 (37)(48.6%) | NRCT | Couples’ support | CBT | Couples | 6 | 3 | D: BDI A: BAI | − | 2 (5) |
Emery et al65 | Switzerland | I: 158 (110)(34.8%) C: 152 (131)(42.8%) | RCT | Pre-IVF counselling | Other | Couples | 1 | 1 | D: BDI A: STAI | − | 3 (6) |
Lee66 | Taiwan | I: 64 (64) C: 68 (68) | RCT | Nursing crisis intervention programme | MBI | Individual | 7 | 7 | D: SDS A: STAI | − | 1 (4) |
De Klerk et al92 | The Netherlands | I: 22 (18) C: 22 (15) | RCT | Counselling | Other | Group | 3 | 4–5 | D: HADS A: HADS | − | 3 (6) |
Schmidt et al59 | Denmark | I: 13 (13) C: 435 (435) | NRCT | Stress management | Other | Group | 5 | 6 | IS: COMPI | − | 1 (4) |
Chan et al67 | Hong Kong, China | I: 101 (69) C: 126 (115) | RCT | The Eastern body–mind intervention | MBI | Group | 4 | 4 | A: STAI | − | 3 (7) |
Levitas et al88 | Israel | I: 89 (89) C: 96 (96) | NRCT | Hypnosis | MBI | Individual | 1 | 1 | + | 0 (1) | |
Nilforooshan et al58 | Iran | I: 30 (30)(50%) C: 30 (30)(50%) | RCT | Cognitive–behavioural counselling | CBT | Group | 6 | 6 | D: BDI A: BAI | − | 2 (6) |
Tuil et al68 | The Netherlands | I: 108 (102) (50%) C: 96 (78) (48.7%) | RCT | Internet-based health record | Other | Individual | Infinite | 2 | D: BDI A: STAI | + | 3 (6) |
Cousineau et al83 | USA | I: 96 (49) C: 92 (49) | RCT | Psycho-educational support | Other | Online | 1–2 | 4 | IS: FPI MF: RDAS | − | 4 (8) |
Faramarzi et al61 | Iran | I: 42 (29) C: 40 (30) | RCT | CBT | CBT | Group | 10 | 10 | D: BDI A: Cattell | − | 3 (6) |
Lancastle and Boivin69 | Wales, UK | I: 28 (28) C: 27 (27) | RCT | Brief coping intervention | Other | Individual | 14 | 2 | IS: CIQ | − | 4 (8) |
Noorbala et al84 | Iran | I: 288 (288)(50%) | UCT | CBT | CBT | Group | 24 | D: BDI | − | 3 (8) | |
Mori70 | Japan | I: 85 (85) C: 40 (40) | RCT | Stress management | Other | Individual | 3 | 12 | D: HADS A: HADS | − | 4 (8) |
Panagopoulou et al71 | England, UK | I: 50 (50) C: 98 (98) | RCT | Expressive writing intervention | Other | Individual | 3 | 1 | IS: ISS A: STAI | + | 3 (7) |
Haemmerli et al72 | Switzerland | I: 60 (46) C: 64 (41) | RCT | Coaching and support | Other | Online | 13 | 8 | IS: IDS D: CES-D A: STAI | − | 3 (6) |
Sexton et al85 | USA | I: 21 (15) C: 22 (16) | RCT | Web-based coping with infertility | Other | Individual | 2 | IS: FPI | − | 3 (6) | |
Domar et al89 | USA | I: 46 (46) C: 51 (51) | RCT | Mind/body programme for infertility | MBI | Group | 10 | 10 | + | 4 (6) | |
Hughes and de Silva73 | Canada | I: 21 (21) | UCT | Art therapy | Other | Group | 8 (2 h) | 8 | D: BDI A: BAI | − | 0 (2) |
Chan et al94 | Hong Kong, China | I: 141 (141) C: 110 (110) | RCT | Integrative body–mind–spirit intervention | MBI | Group | 4 (3 h) | 4 | A: STAI MF: C-KMS | + | 3 (6) |
Gorayeb et al90 | Brazil | I: 93 (93) C: 95 (95) | RCT | Brief cognitive–behavioural intervention | CBT | Group | 5 (2 h) | 5 | + | 1 (4) | |
Koszycki et al81 | Canada | I: 31 (23) | UCT | Interpersonal and supportive therapy | Other | Individual | 12 (50 min) | 12 | IS: FPI D: BDI HAM-D | − | 3 (7) |
Matthiesen et al74 | Denmark | I: 42 (15) C: 40 (16) | RCT | Expressive writing intervention | Other | Individual | 3 (20 min) | 1 | IS: COMPI | − | 4 (8) |
Mosalanejad et al75 76 | Iran | I: 32 (32) C: 33 (33) | RCT | Cognitive–behavioural treatment | CBT | Group | 12 (2 h) | 12 | D: DASS A: DASS | − | 1 (4) |
Mosalanejad et al75 76 | Iran | I: 16 (16) C: 15 (15) | NRCT | CBT | CBT | Group | 15 (1.5 h) | 16 | D: DASS A: DASS | − | 2 (5) |
Catoire et al77 | France | I: 50 (50) | UCT | Hypnosis | MBI | Individual | 4 | 1 | A: STAI | − | 4 (7) |
Galhardo et al97 | Portugal | I: 55 (55) C: 37 (37) | NRCT | Mindfulness-based programme for infertility | MBI | Group | 10 (2 h) | 10 | IS: ISE D: BDI A: STAI | − | 1 (4) |
Vizheh et al93 | Iran | I: 86 (86) (50%) C: 94 (86) (54.7%) | RCT | Marital counselling | Other | Group | 3 (1.5hrs) | 3 | MF: MSQ | − | 4 (8) |
*Self-reported intervention type.
†Intervention type: CBT; MBI: mindfulness, yoga, relaxation, imagery, hypnosis, etc; Other: all other intervention types, for example, counselling, psychoeducation, supportive therapy, expressive writing intervention, brief therapy, emotion and problem focused therapy, and narrative therapy.
‡Outcome measures: Infertility stress: CIQ, the Coping with Infertility Questionnaire; COMPI, the Copenhagen Multi-centre Psychosocial Infertility problem stress scale; FPI, Fertility Problem Index; IDS, Infertility Distress Scale; ISD, Infertility-Specific Distress and Well-being; ISE, Infertility Self-efficacy Scale; ISS, the Infertility and Strain Scale—Depression: BDI, the Beck Depression Inventory; CES-D, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression—short version; DES, The Differential Emotion Scale; DASS, the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale—depression; HADS, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SDS, Zung's Self-administered Depression Scale—Anxiety: BAI, the Beck Anxiety Inventory; Cattell, Cattell Anxiety Inventory; DASS, the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale—anxiety; HAM-D, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale—subscale anxiety; STAI, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory—Marital function: C-KMS, Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale—Chinese version RDAS (Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale)—dyadic cohesion subscale; MSQ, Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire.
§Pregnancy is defined as a clinical pregnancy when the heartbeat of the fetal sac is evident in the uterus with an ultrasound scan.
¶Jadad range 0–5 an assessment tool rating the quality and methodology of the studies included37 and the modified Jadad range 0–11(total score) included additional points for: inclusion of a control group, pre–post data, blinding of participants or researchers, use of standardised and reliable outcome measures and report of pre–post correlations.
CBT, cognitive–behavioural therapy; IVF, in vitro fertilisation; MBI, mind/body intervention; NRCT, non-randomised controlled trial; RCT, randomised controlled trial; UCT, uncontrolled trial (pre–post).