Hardiness and Hope in Infertile Couples Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Treatment comparing with oocyte and embryo donation candidates
Maryam Mohammadi (IR), Behnaz Navid (IR), Reza Omani Samani (IR)
[Mohammadi] Department of Epidemiology and Reproductive Health, Reproductive Epidemiology Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran, [Navid] Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, [Omani Samani] Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR
Objective Infertility is a crisis in the life and the issue is more complex when third party reproduction is the only hope for a couple to have a child. The aim of our study is to compare hope and hardiness between couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) and those who are candidates for oocyte or embryo dontion. Methods In a cross-sectional study, the study sample consisted of three groups of infertile couples, candidates for oocyte donation (OD: n=60), candidates for embryo donation (ED=60), and non-candidates for third party reproduction (N: n=60). Including criteria were age at least 18 years and could read and write in Persian in the Royan institute, Tehran, Iran, between 2013 and 2014. Participants provided demographic and general characteristics and completed the Persian version of the Adult Trait Hope Scale with hope, agency and pathway subscales and Lang and Goulet Hardiness Scale (LGHS) with control, commitment and challenge subscales. Data was analyzed by paired t test, ANOVA, using SPSS statistical software. Result: We could not find any significant difference between our groups in hope and hardiness except “control” subscale which was significantly higher in ED (P=0.044) and “commitment” subscale of hardiness was higher in N (P=0.043). The mean score of hope was significantly higher in husbands than wives in N (P=0.046) which, this difference was detected only in “pathway” subscale of hope (P=0.032). In N group, “challenge” subscale of hardiness was also significantly higher in husbands (P=0.034). Conclusion: Oocyte and embryo donation candidates have same hope level as normal infertile couples undergoing ART. In normal ART patients, husbands have more hope and are more challenging comparing to their wives.