OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to evaluate the levels of emotional distress, social support and sexual function of infertile couples with no psychiatric Axis-I disorder according to gender differences. METHOD: The study sample of 103 primary infertile couples with no psychiatric Axis-I disorder according to DSM-IV were given Beck Depression Inventory, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, Inventory of Perceived Social Support and Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). RESULTS: The sample's depressive symptom severity did not indicate clinical depression, state anxiety was within normal range, and trait anxiety was high according to the scales. Compared to men, women had more severe depressive symptoms when they were the cause of couple's infertility whether alone or with their husbands, and higher trait anxiety in all infertility groups, and more perceived social support of family whether they or their husbands are the cause of infertility. According to sexual functioning profile obtained by the subscale scores of GRISS, more frequently defined problems of sexual relationship were non-communication and non-sensuality for men and avoidance for women in all infertility groups. The emotional distress of woman and man were correlated negatively with their perceived social support and positively with their sexual functioning. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that women had more social support and emotional distress and men had more problems of sexual function, however, satisfactory social support might decrease the emotional symptoms of both genders.
OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to evaluate the levels of emotional distress, social support and sexual function of infertile couples with no psychiatric Axis-I disorder according to gender differences. METHOD: The study sample of 103 primary infertile couples with no psychiatric Axis-I disorder according to DSM-IV were given Beck Depression Inventory, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, Inventory of Perceived Social Support and Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). RESULTS: The sample's depressive symptom severity did not indicate clinical depression, state anxiety was within normal range, and trait anxiety was high according to the scales. Compared to men, women had more severe depressive symptoms when they were the cause of couple's infertility whether alone or with their husbands, and higher trait anxiety in all infertility groups, and more perceived social support of family whether they or their husbands are the cause of infertility. According to sexual functioning profile obtained by the subscale scores of GRISS, more frequently defined problems of sexual relationship were non-communication and non-sensuality for men and avoidance for women in all infertility groups. The emotional distress of woman and man were correlated negatively with their perceived social support and positively with their sexual functioning. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that women had more social support and emotional distress and men had more problems of sexual function, however, satisfactory social support might decrease the emotional symptoms of both genders.