Experiences of psychological interventions for women and men undergoing assisted reproductive technologies: A qualitative systematic review.

Objective: Given the adverse psycho-emotional impacts, psychological interventions can support couples undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART). A qualitative systematic review is needed to help us understand the intricacies of the experiences with ART-based psychological interventions. This study consolidates and synthesizes available evidence of experiences of women and men undergoing ART with psychological interventions.

Methods: Six electronic databases were searched for studies published in English from the inception date (1961) up to February 2023: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Mednar. Studies that used qualitative research designs or mixed methods on women and men experience with psychological interventions during ART were included. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool was used to appraise the quality of the included studies. The review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. The data synthesis was guided by Sandelowski and Barroso's guidelines.

Results: Ten qualitative studies were included in this systematic review. The identified overarching theme was the impact of psychological interventions from "being lost" to "finding ways," which was supported by three themes: (1) better coping and acceptance of infertility, (2) knowing and "finding ways" to what was unknown, and (3) preferred way forward for infertility treatment.

Conclusion: The study reveal that psychological interventions were favorable for women and men undergoing ART with perceived lower stress levels and anxiety symptoms. Participants from the included studies also expressed better coping skills. Both women and men in the included studies highlighted that future interventions should provide adequate educational information on ART, teach individualized coping skills, and offer psychological support, specifically for those with unsuccessful ART outcomes. Moreover, couple-based interventions should be further explored from varied geographical and cultural backgrounds.