In plain language
Infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, and for many women the experience — together with the demands, costs, and uncertainty of IVF treatment — carries an emotional burden comparable to a traumatic event. This study asked whether a structured Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, which teaches people to treat themselves with the same kindness they would offer a good friend, could reduce that distress in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.
Fifty-seven infertile women receiving IVF were randomly assigned either to the MSC program or to treatment as usual. The MSC group met once a week for two hours over eight weeks and also attended a half-day meditation retreat. Psychological symptoms (measured with the SCL-90-R checklist) and hope (Snyder's Hope questionnaire) were assessed before the program, immediately after it, and again two months later.
Compared with treatment as usual, women in the MSC group showed significant reductions in hopelessness, anger-hostility, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity difficulties, and depression — and these improvements held up at the two-month follow-up. A reliable change analysis indicated the gains were not just statistically but clinically meaningful. The findings suggest that mindfulness- and compassion-based programs can be a valuable psychological support alongside fertility treatment.
Key findings
- 57 infertile women undergoing IVF were randomized to Mindful Self-Compassion therapy (n = 29) or treatment as usual (n = 28).
- The MSC program consisted of weekly two-hour group sessions for eight weeks plus a half-day meditation retreat.
- MSC significantly reduced hopelessness, anger-hostility, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity difficulties, and depression relative to treatment as usual.
- Improvements were maintained at the two-month post-intervention follow-up.
- Reliable change index analyses showed the MSC group's gains were clinically significant and durable, not just statistically significant.
- The authors conclude MSC can support higher life satisfaction and mental well-being in women undergoing IVF and call for further trials of mindfulness-based therapies in this population.
How to cite
APA
Sahraian, K., Abdollahpour Ranjbar, H., Namavar Jahromi, B., Cheung, H. N., Ciarrochi, J., & Habibi Asgarabad, M. (2024). Effectiveness of mindful self-compassion therapy on psychopathology symptoms, psychological distress and life expectancy in infertile women treated with in vitro fertilization: A two-arm double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry, 24, 174. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05411-6
BibTeX
@article{sahraian2024effectiveness,
title = {Effectiveness of mindful self-compassion therapy on psychopathology symptoms, psychological distress and life expectancy in infertile women treated with in vitro fertilization: a two-arm double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial},
author = {Sahraian, Kimia and Abdollahpour Ranjbar, Hamed and Namavar Jahromi, Bahia and Cheung, Ho Nam and Ciarrochi, Joseph and Habibi Asgarabad, Mojtaba},
journal = {BMC Psychiatry},
volume = {24},
pages = {174},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1186/s12888-023-05411-6}
}
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Author: Joseph Ciarrochi (ORCID 0000-0003-0471-8100). Free copy hosted with permission for scholarly use. Please cite the published version via the DOI above.