P-484 Infertility stigma, openness with others, and their relationship to depression and meaning in life among men and women experiencing infertility
Authors: Peterson B , Taubman - Ben-Ari O , Chiu B , Brown D , Frederick D 
Published: July 2024

Study question

Does infertility-related stigma and being open with others relate to depression and meaning in life among men and women experiencing infertility?

Summary answer

Higher infertility stigma was related to higher depression and search for meaning, whereas higher openness was related to lower depression and higher presence of meaning.

What is known already

For men experiencing infertility, there is relatively scarce knowledge about the relationship between infertility stigma, openness, depression, and meaning in life. For women, previous studies have found that higher levels of infertility stigma are associated with higher levels of hopelessness (Kaya & Oskay, 2020). Studies have also found that the presence of meaning in women is associated with the use of more adaptive coping strategies for infertility, while the search for meaning is associated with higher levels of depression (Morse & Steger, 2019). Men who reported greater openness with others about infertility, reported lower depression (Babore, et al., 2017).

Study design, size, duration

The design was a cross-sectional survey where participants completed demographic and infertility information along with validated measures of meaning in life, depression, openness, and perceptions of stigma regarding their infertility. Participants were recruited via announcements on infertility discussion listservs and social media accounts in the United States. Data were collected in November-December of 2023. Participants were 89 men and 458 women who reported an infertility diagnosis. Eighty-one percent of participants were from the United States.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

The key outcome variables were the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression measure (Zhang et al., 2012) and the Meaning in Life measure, which consists of two 5-item subscales, Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning (Steger et al., 2006). Along with demographic and infertility factors, key psychological variables were measured including infertility stigma (Fu et al., 2015) and openness with others and their partner about their infertility experience (Babore, 2017). Participants mean age was 33.

Main results and the role of chance

Multiple linear hierarchical regression models explained substantial variance (adjusted R-squared) for depression (48% men; 29% women), presence of meaning (28% men; 27% women), and search for meaning (22% men; 16% women).

Men and women who reported higher levels of personal infertility stigma had higher levels of depression (Betas = .23 men and .24 women; ps &lt; .05), as well as higher levels of searching for meaning (Beta = .26 men, p = .051; Beta = .16 women, p = .016). Higher stigma was also associated with lower presence of meaning in women (Beta = -.233, ps &lt;.001).

Men and women who reported higher levels of openness with others about infertility reported substantially lower levels of depression (Betas = -.51 men and -.32 women; ps &lt;.001), and greater presence of meaning in life (Betas = .29 men and .22 women; ps &lt; .05). Openness with others was also associated with lower search for meaning among women (Beta = -.127, p = .011).

Women who were currently in treatment reported more depression compared to both women who were never in treatment (Beta = -.245, p = .019), and women who had previously been in treatment (Beta = -.244, p = .031).

Limitations, reasons for caution

This study provided the rare opportunity to examine infertility and mental health among men, but caution is necessary when interpreting these results due to the relatively small sample size. The correlational findings do not allow for inferences of causality, and testing the generalizability of findings is an important next step.

Wider implications of the findings

The study highlights that higher infertility stigma and lower openness with others are key factors in understanding men and women’s mental health and worldview perceptions. Encouraging individuals with infertility to share their experiences with others may reduce feelings of depression, while also increasing one’s sense of meaning in life.

Trial registration number

not applicable