Comparison of Depression Severity and Sexual Satisfaction Between Fertile and Infertile Women in Iran: A Population Based Case-Control Study

Abstract Background: Depression and sexual dissatisfaction are among the most common psychological factors caused by infertility. Infertility is an important topic in Iranian culture and many studies have already targeted them. The aim of this study was to compare the severity of both depression and sexual dissatisfaction between fertile and infertile groups of women in Iran.Methods: A number of 180 infertile and 540 fertile women participated in this case-control study. The cases were selected through a combination of multistage stratified and cluster sampling method. For each infertile woman, three fertile women were randomly selected. Data gathering instrument consisted of demographic variables, Depression Inventory Scale, Second Edition, and the Linda Berg Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire. The multivariate marginal model and SPSS 21 software were used for data analyses with a significance level of 0.05.Results: After adjusting for the effect of confounding variables, the marginal model showed the odds of depression increased by approximately 21.305 times among cases compared to control subjects (OR = 21.305, 95% CI for OR:14.75-32.021, P < 0.001). This model also found that by moderating the effect of confounding variables, infertility increased the odds of low sexual satisfaction by approximately 15.560 times (OR = 15.560, 95% CI for OR = 5.089–47.571, p < 0.001). Chi-square test (Monte Carlo Simulation) showed a significant relationship between infertility treatment and severity of depression in infertile group of women (P = 0.001). Severe cases of depression were mostly seen among women who received IVF treatment.Conclusion: The overall severity of depression and sexual dissatisfaction were higher in infertile group than that of fertile one. Also, most cases of severe depression were seen in IVF clinics, which may boost their depression. The results of this study may help reveal the psychological and social aspects of infertility in, Iran.