چکیده:
Background:
Today, all societies are facing the COVID-19 epidemic. All countries have taken steps to reduce
the spread of the virus and the effects of viral infections. Covid-19 epidemic affects the course of
some treatments. One of these cases was to postpone infertility treatments. This study examined
the mental health of infertile patients whose treatment was delayed due to the COVID-19
epidemic.
Method:
Academic and step-by-step searches for the purpose of studying the PubMed /Medline, Googol
Scolar were reviewed during 2019-2021. In first 70 articles were found and finally 16 papers
were selected based on incaution in criteria. English and Persian articles with the same
population and aim were included. Articles that focused exclusively on theories, case-report,
were excluded.
Result:
There is a research shows that people are very upset about the cancellation of infertility treatment
because of COVID-19. Patients appraised fertility clinic closure as having potential for a more
negative than positive impact on their lives, and to be very or extremely uncontrollable and
stressful (P ≤ 0.001). Studies in this context have all confirmed a decline in mental health and
quality of life by suspending infertility treatment. In the multivariate analysis, COVID-19-related
anxiety (B = 0.145, P = 0.04) and disagreement with treatment suspension (B = –0.44, P = 0.001)
were found to be significantly associated with patients' psychological distress. Background
characteristics of patients did not contribute significantly to their distress. Of course, it should be
noted that in a number of these studies, several psychosocial variables were found that showed a
positive effect on these outcomes; Therefore, these findings can be used as a psychosocial
protective factor to help people deal with them.
Conclusion:
Because infertility is a stressful event, infertility can be detrimental to people's mental health, so
infertility affects people's mental health. Therefore, assessing the mental health status of infertile
people, especially during the Covid 19 crisis, should be a priority in order to improve their health
status and subsequently improve the consequences of treatment. All of this raises the need to
design and use assessment resources to deal with psychological problems and counseling
infertile couples using digital technologies in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. Infertility
treatment centers should systematically offer these couples adequate psychological counseling to
improve mental health.