Effect of Mindfulness-based Interventions on Mental Health of Women with Infertility: A Narrative Review

Background: By instinct, human beings have desire to propagate their genes. Infertility can be very painful for the individuals. The men and women with this medical condition are not just battling physiological problems but also dealing with psychological, emotional, and social battles, including low self-esteem, stress, depression, frustration, hopelessness, anxiety, feeling of guilt and worthlessness, insecurity in marital relationship, marital discords and lesser marital satisfaction. Women population is more vulnerable to the psycho-social consequences of infertility. Though many research studies have been conducted to investigate the psycho-social impact of infertility on women, the research literature on the combative role of mindfulness-based interventions on mental health of women have been limited. Mindfulness as a psycho-therapeutic intervention has been shown to be effective in chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, anxiety, depression and pain. The mindfulness-based interventions in individuals with chronic conditions can assist them to accept the condition and overcome the psychological issues that arise due to the physical health conditions. Infertility is a physical health condition that has strong psychological consequences. Thus, there is a need to study the impact of these interventions on women population suffering from infertility. The purpose of the present study is to explore the effect of mindfulness-based interventions on the mental health of the women with infertility. Objective: In light of the foregoing history, the current review's research question is “Are mindfulness-based interventions effective in improving mental health of women with infertility?” Methods: This is a narrative review guided by systematic approach to searching. Prominent research databases were used to locate empirical articles reporting on the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapies on mental health of infertile women between 2000 and 2020. There were no restrictions on participant demographics including age, sex, geography, socioeconomic status, or year of publication. Only empirical studies which investigated mindfulness-based interventions on mental health (anxiety, stress, depression, quality of life and psychological well-being) of infertile women were included in the review. Results: Seventeen papers were considered in the review which involved 983 females. Depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life and psychological well-being were taken as measures of mental health of infertile women. The studies have confirmed that the mindfulness-based interventions are highly helpful for women with infertility. The interventions have successfully reduced stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms among the participants as well as enhanced their quality of life and psychological well-being.