Phenomenological review of depression in women experiencing infertility: an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design systematic review.

OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to systematically review the qualitative literature assessing depressive symptomatology in women experiencing infertility through an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach.

METHODS This study utilised an explanatory mixed methods design to systematically review and evaluate existing themes of infertility-related depression reported in qualitative literature. After a comprehensive search across 4 online databases, the analysis was accomplished in two phases: a descriptive analysis of the frequency and distribution of the current diagnostic criteria in the qualitative studies captured by the systematic review and 2.) a constant comparative content analysis of the themes that emerge from the qualitative responses regarding depressive symptomatology.

RESULTS We identified 8 unique themes relevant to the measurement of infertility-related depression including diminished self-perception, grief, diminished self-efficacy, emotional dysregulation, fear, perceived injustice, anger, and social pressure. Three novel themes related to the measurement of infertility treatment-related depression were identified including medication administration burden, financial worry, and medical dehumanisation.

CONCLUSIONS The measurement of infertility-related depression and infertility treatment-related depression is currently concerned with capturing only what is outlined as the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder in the DSM-5, the results of Study 1 illuminate potential avenues for measurement that may significantly augment current measurement; providing improvements to the identification of infertility-related depression in women and the support provided to this population.