Psychological aspects of infertility. A systematic review

Abstract

Objective Fertility may be defined as a capacity to conceive and produce offspring. Infertility is characterized by failure to establish a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility concerns an estimated 8–12% of the global population, and is associated with factors including time of unwanted non-conception, age of female partner and number of diseases impacting fertility. Unexplained infertility is described as idiopathic. This study aimed to analyse and evaluate the influence of mental disorders, often considered as reasons for idiopathic infertility, on female and male fertility, including stress, depression, sleep and eating disorders, and addictions. Methods This systematic review comprised a search of MEDLINE, Cochrane and PubMed databases for relevant articles that were analysed by two independent reviewers. Results A total of 106 articles published between 1955–2019 were included. Mental disorders modify endocrine gland and immune system functioning at both the tissue and cellular level, and are negatively associated with female and male fertility. Conclusion Mental disorders may negatively impact female and male fertility. Further studies are required to explain the exact role and contribution of mental disorders to fertility.