Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Intolerance of Uncertainty in Infertile Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization Treatment

Abstract

Introduction and purpose: Infertile women often use a stressful process called laboratory fertilization to fulfill their desire for childbearing. The present study aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training on intolerance of uncertainty in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Methods: This study was conducted using a semi-experimental approach based on a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all infertile women referred to an infertility treatment center in Mashhad, Iran. From this group, a total of 60 women with a history of infertility were selected using the available sampling method and then randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, eight 2-h sessions of mindfulness training were held weekly; however, the control group did not receive any psychological services. The intolerance of uncertainty questionnaire was used to measure anxiety, and data analysis was performed by single-variable covariance using SPSS software (version 21). Results: The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and the control groups in terms of intolerance of uncertainty, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training effectively reduced the intolerance of uncertainty (P<0.001) in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment. Conclusion: According to the findings, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training can be applied to improve the problems of infertile women undergoing IVF treatment.

Keywords

• cognitive behavioral therapy
• female
• infertility
• mindfulness