Duygu DOKUMACI

Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University

Abstract Title:

Psychosocial Care in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment: Current Nursing Approaches

Research Interests:

Infertility is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) as the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after at least 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Affecting approximately 186 million individuals worldwide roughly 1 in 6 people globally  infertility is not merely a medical condition but a complex biopsychosocial crisis with profound psychosocial consequences including stigmatization, identity disruption, grief, and relational strain.

This presentation examines infertility through a psychosocial care lens, addressing its epidemiological burden (GBD 2021 data), cultural stigma across diverse societies and the multidimensional dimensions of psychosocial crisis: identity loss, invisible grief, social stigma, treatment-related distress, and couple dysfunction. Evidence from the ESHRE 2015 Psychosocial Care Guideline, the WHO 2025 Infertility Treatment Guideline, and the 2022 quality indicator demonstrates that psychosocial indicators represent only 2.39% of reported fertility care metrics, highlighting a critical gap in patient-centered practice.

Evidence-based nursing interventions discussed include Watson's Human Caring Theory (shown to significantly reduce anxiety and distress in RCT), Neuman's Systems Model for stress management, and Orem's Self-Care Theory combined with Bandura's Self-Efficacy Concept. Complementary approaches such as expressive writing, Benson relaxation, yoga, mindfulness, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and digital mHealth applications (IVFmind, FertiStrong) are also reviewed. Nurses are positioned as key providers of routine psychosocial care across the ESHRE BREC model (Behavioral, Relational, Emotional, Cognitive needs), from pre-treatment through post-treatment phases.

In conclusion, psychosocial care is an inseparable component of infertility treatment, not merely an adjunct. Nurses play a pivotal role in identifying needs, providing empathic support, and delivering structured evidence-based interventions to improve both clinical adherence and patient well-being.

Keywords: infertility; psychosocial care; nursing interventions; stigma