Prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in infertile female patients attending an academic hospital in central South Africa

Main Article Content

T Mulondo
S Baloyi
J B Sempa

Abstract





Background. Infertility has an incidence of 15 - 20% in South Africa (SA). It may lead to the development of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression.


Objective. To determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety among infertile women attending the Infertility Clinic at a tertiary hospital in central SA.


Methods. In this prospective analytic cross-sectional study, information captured included sociodemographic variables such as age, employment status, type and duration of infertility, marital status, type of marriage and education level. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) test were used to screen for depression and anxiety, respectively.
Results. In total, 100 of 108 infertile women completed all the questionnaires correctly. Forty-two (42.0%) of the patients were >35 years and 58.0% were married, with five (8.6%) being in a polygamous marriage. Fifty-three (53.0%) women had never been pregnant before. The prevalence of depression was 53.0%, with 45.0% of these patients showing moderate to moderately severe levels of depression. The level of education was significantly associated with depression (p<0.025). Half of the participants (50.0%) screened positive for anxiety, with 12 (24.0%) having severe anxiety. In total, 40.0% of the participants screened positive for both anxiety and depression. No statistically significant association was observed between depression or anxiety and age, duration of infertility, marital status and employment status.


Conclusions. Depression and anxiety disorders are common and often underdiagnosed in women undergoing infertility treatment. Practitioners should screen for these conditions at the initial patient presentation and refer patients for psychological support.





Article Details

How to Cite
Prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in infertile female patients attending an academic hospital in central South Africa. (2024). South African Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 30(1), e1452. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJOG.2024.v30i1.1452
Section
Research Articles
Author Biographies

T Mulondo, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

School of Clinical Medicine

Faculty of Health Sciences

S Baloyi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa; School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

School of Clinical Medicine

Faculty of Health Sciences

J B Sempa, Department of Biostatistics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Department of Biostatistics

School of Biomedical Sciences

Faculty of Health Sciences

How to Cite

Prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in infertile female patients attending an academic hospital in central South Africa. (2024). South African Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 30(1), e1452. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJOG.2024.v30i1.1452

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