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The study aims to propose and test a multi-dimensional infertility-related stress model including socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics, infertility-related stress dimensions, coping strategies and couple's dyadic adjustment dimensions as predictors of anxiety and depression among partners of couples undergoing infertility treatments. Both members of 250 infertile couples filled out a questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographics (Age; Educational level; Employment status), Fertility-related characteristics (Type of diagnosis; Duration of infertility), Fertility Problem Inventory-Short Form, Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced-New Italian Version, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y and Edinburgh Depression Scale. Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regressions indicated that the proposed predictive models for anxiety and depression were significant and had good levels of fit with the data. Gender differences emerged in predictor variables. Findings provide valid predictive models that could be adopted to assess psychological health in infertile patients and to develop evidence-based and tailored counselling interventions at centres for assisted reproduction.

Background: Research highlighted that Stressful Life Events have high incidence among infertile patients and significant impact on physical and medical parameters related to reproductive functions, but their potential role among factors influencing the infertile patients' perception of fertility-related Quality of Life (QoL) has not been explored. The present study aims to investigate the associations of Stressful Life Events (Stressful events in the family of origin, In family pre-existing pregnancy difficulties, Health problems in childhood) with perceived fertility-related QoL in women attending infertility treatments, examining the potential moderating role of adopted coping strategies and perceived couple's dyadic adjustment., Methods: A questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographics and Infertility-related characteristics, Stress-inducing events in the couples' lives Questionnaire (FLS), Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced (COPE), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and Core and Treatment subscales of Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) was administered to 266 women attending infertility treatments. A descriptive correlational design with cross-sectional comparison was used. Results Logistic Regression Analyses after adjusting for socio-demographic and infertility-related characteristics revealed that women who reported Stressful events in the family of origin and In family pre-existing pregnancy difficulties were more likely to report lower levels of perceived Core QoL, while women who reported Health problems in childhood were more likely to report lower levels of perceived Treatment QoL. Couple's dyadic adjustment and specific coping strategies were significantly associated with perceived Core and Treatment QoL and they also significantly moderated the associations between stressful life events and perceived QoL., Conclusions: Data provided original evidence on the strong association between stressful life events and perceived fertility-related QoL also highlighting individual and couples' resources to define counselling interventions with women attending infertility treatments.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of individual characteristics (age, gender, educational level, coping strategies), perceived couple's Dyadic Adjustment, type of diagnosis and duration of infertility on self-reported quality of life (QoL) and psychological health in infertile couples, examining the potential moderating role of duration of infertility., Methods: A questionnaire composed by socio-demographics, Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, FertiQoL, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Edinburgh Depression Scale was submitted to 206 couples undergoing infertility treatments., Results: Female patients perceived significantly lower levels of QoL and higher levels of Anxiety and Depression. High Educational level and Social Support Coping strategy were associated with higher QoL and psychological health only in female patients. Problem Solving Coping strategy was associated with higher QoL and psychological health only in male patients. Positive Attitude and Avoidance/Distancing Coping strategies and perceived couple's Dyadic Adjustment were associated with higher QoL and psychological health in both male and female patients. Duration of infertility > 3 years was associated with a reduction of protective effects of all coping strategies but did not affect protective effects of Educational level and couple's Dyadic Adjustment., Conclusions: Both positive/active and avoiding/distancing coping strategies are effective to promote QoL and psychological health in infertile couples, but they are all compromised by a long duration of infertility. Conversely, positive effects of educational level and couple's Dyadic Adjustment persist and should be emphasised in the definition of interventions to promote well-being in couples undergoing long-term treatments.