Research studies

Mar 10, 2021

Research Studies

Please find below a collated list of books and research studies pertaining to the topic of ‘Stress & Fertility’ referenced to in the stress materials in Your Fertility Toolbox and related to digital psychosocial and psychoeducational programs internationally.

Last updated May 2021

*Please note this list does not extend to other factors such as lifestyle, environment, exercise, genetics or diet, nor is it exhaustive. It is provided only as a means of extra information and referencing for our members and partners.

Research into Stress & Fertility

1. An Y., Sun Z., Li L., Zhang Y., Ji H. Relationship between psychological stress and reproductive outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment: psychological and hormonal treatment. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2013;30:35– 41.
2. Arthur L. Greil,1 Kathleen Slauson-Blevins,2 and Julia McQuillan2. “The experience of infertility: A review of recent literature.” Social Health Illn. 2010 Jan; 32(1): 140–162. Published online 2009 Dec 9.
3. Blitzer, B. (2011) The Infertility Workbook
4. Brkovich AM, Fisher WA: Psychological distress and infertility: Forty years of research. J Psychosom Obst Gyn
1998;19:218–228
5. Brothers SC, Maddux JE. The goal of biological parenthood and emotional distress from infertility: linking parenthood to
happiness. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2003;33(2):248–262
6. Clarke, D. (2007): They can’t find anything wrong! 7 keys to understanding, treating and healing stress illness
7. Cousineau T, Green TC, Corsini E, Seibring A, et al. Online psychoeducational support for infertile women: a randomized
controlled trial. Human Reproduction. 2008;233:554–66.
8. Demyttenaere K, Nijs P, Evers-Kiebooms G, Koninckx PR: Personality characteristics, psychoendocrinological stress and
outcome of IVF depend upon the etiology of infertility. Gynecol Endocrinol 1994;8:233–240
9. Domar, A. (2002), Conquering Infertility
10. Hansell PL, Thorn BE, Prentice-Dunn S, Floyd DL. The relationships of primary appraisals of infertility and other gynecological stressors to coping. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 1998;5(2):133–45
11. Hugo, S. (2009) The Fertile Body Method
12. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Vol. 20, (12) December 2003
13. Klonoff-Cohen H., Chu E., Natarajan L., Sieber W. A prospective study of stress among women undergoing in vitro
fertilization or gamete intra fallopian transfer. Fertil Steril. 2001;76(4):675–687
14. Louis, G. et al (2011) ‘Stress reduces conception probabilities across the fertile window: evidence in support of relaxation’
Journal of Fertility and Sterility, Vol 95 (5) June
15. Maizes, V (2013) Be Fruitful: The essential guide to maximising your fertility and giving birth to a healthy child
16. Massey AJ., Campbell BK., Raine-Fenning N., Pincott-Allen C., Perry J., Vedhara K. Relationship between hair and salivary
Cortisol and pregnancy in women undergoing IVF. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016;74:397–405
17. Monga M, Alexandrescu B, Katz S, Stein M, et al. Impact of infertility on quality of life, marital adjustment, and sexual
function. Urology. 2004;63(1):126–30.
18. Nicholas, M. (2006), 3 steps to fertility
19. Rooney, K.L. et al., The relationship between stress and infertility. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 2018. 20(1).
20. Sizer, A. (2010) Fertile Thinking
21. Terzioglu F., Turk R., Yucel C., Dilbaz S., Cinar O., Karahalil B. The effect of anxiety and depression scores of couples who
underwent assisted reproductive techniques on the pregnancy outcomes. Afr Health Sci. 2016;16(2):441–450.
22. Turner K, Reynolds-May MF, Zitek EM, Tisdale RL, Carlisle AB, Westphal LM (2013) Stress and Anxiety Scores in First
and Repeat IVF Cycles: A Pilot Study. PLoS ONE 8(5): e63743.
23. Ulrich M, Weatherall A. Motherhood and infertility: viewing motherhood through the lens of infertility. Feminism &
Psychology. 2000;10(3):323–6.
24. Williams ME. Toward greater understanding of the psychological effects of infertility on women. Psychotherapy in Private
Practice. 1997;16(3):7–26.
25. Wischmann TH. Psychogenic infertility: myths and facts. Journal of Assisted Reproduction & Genetics. 2003;20(12):485–
94.
26. Xu H., Ouyang N., Li R., Tuo P., Mai M., Wang W. The effects of anxiety and depression on in vitro fertilization outcomes of
Chinese women. Psychol Health Med. 2017;22:37–43.

Digital Psychoeducational and Psychosocial programs for infertility patients:

  1. Clifton J, Parent J, Seehuus M, Worrall G, Forehand R, Domar, A. An internet-based mind/body intervention to mitigate distress in women experiencing infertility: A randomised pilot trial. PLOS ONE. 2020; 15(3): e0229379
  2. Cousineau T, Green TC, Corsini E, Seibring A, et al. Online psychoeducational support for infertile women: a randomized controlled trial. Human Reproduction. 2008;233:554–66
  3. Pasch LA, Holley SR, Bleil ME, Shehab D, Katz PP, Adler NE. Addressing the needs of fertility treatment patients and their partners: are they informed of and do they receive mental health services? Fertil Steril. 2016;106(1):209–15. pmid:27018159 
  4. Boivin J, Scanlan LC, Walker SM. Why are infertile patients not using psychosocial counselling? Hum Reprod. 1999;14(5):1384–91. pmid:10325300
  5. Wischmann T. Implications of psychosocial support in infertility-a critical appraisal 1. J Psychosom Obstet Gynecol. 2008;29(2):83–90.
  6. Aarts JWM, Van den Haak P, Nelen W, Tuil WS, Faber MJ, Kremer JAM. Patient-focused Internet interventions in reproductive medicine: A scoping review. Hum Reprod Update. 2012;18(2):211–27. pmid:22108381
  7. Hämmerli K, Znoj H, Berger T. Internet-based support for infertile patients: A randomized controlled study. J Behav Med. 2010;33(2):135–46. pmid:20039196
  8. Van Dongen AJCM, Nelen WLDM, IntHout J, Kremer JAM, Verhaak CM. e-Therapy to reduce emotional distress in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART): a feasibility randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2016;31(5):1046–57. pmid:26965429
  9. Domar AD, Clapp D, Slawsby E, Kessel B, Orav J, Freizinger M. The impact of group psychological interventions on distress in infertile women. Heal Psychol. 2000;19(6):568.
  10. Domar AD, Zuttermeister PC, Seibel M, Benson H. Psychological improvement in infertile women after behavioral treatment: A replication. Fertil Steril. 1992;58(1):144–7. pmid:1623995
  11. Clifton J. A randomized pilot trial: An internet-based mind/body intervention to mitigate anxiety in women experiencing infertility. 2015.
  12. Andersson G, Carlbring P, Berger T, Almlöv J, Cuijpers P. What makes Internet therapy work? Cogn Behav Ther. 2009;38(S1):55–60.