Coping, goal adjustment, and positive and negative affect in definitive infertility.

The relationships between coping strategies, goal adjustment and positive and negative affect were studied in 83 definitive involuntary childless people. Self-report questionnaires were filled out. The findings suggested that positive ways to handle the childlessness were related to positive affect, while negative ways to deal with the childlessness were related to negative affect. Cognitive coping strategies seemed to have a stronger influence on affect than the behavioral coping strategies. Adjusting the goal to have children seemed to be a fruitful way to cope. These findings suggested that intervention programs should pay attention to both cognitive coping strategies and goal adjustment.