Qualitative research on the psychological experience of female patients undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feijing Zhou ◽  
Kun Du ◽  
Yuezhi Dong

Abstract Background: Infertility and fertility treatment exacerbate the intensity of stress that couples experience and negatively affects the patients’ quality of life. Stress is a crucial factor in reproductive health and is likely to be one of the psychological factors affecting ART success. The qualitative research method permitted an understanding of the patients’ experience during the diagnosis of and treatment for IVF and identified the sources of psychological stress. This understanding could urge medical workers, families, and society at large to provide targeted help to these patients.Methods: A qualitative research was conducted in the reproductive medicine center of our hospital. Women who received IVF treatment were randomly selected.Results: In total, 16 interviews were conducted with female patients undergoing IVF-ET between May and October 2019. The psychological experience of female patients undergoing IVF–ET can be summarized into four themes: (1) negative emotions due to infertility; (2) suffering under stress; (3) eager to obtain family and social support; (4) desire for medical knowledge related to infertility.Conclusion: Medical staff should fully understand the emotional state of the patient during the process of infertility treatment and careful attention should be paid to the patients’ psychological needs. According to the individual differences between the patients, we should provide positive factors of social support. Furthermore, corresponding health guidance and psychological support to reduce the psychological stress of patients and thus improve their chances of getting pregnant should be provided.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryszard Poprawa ◽  
Bianka Lewandowska ◽  
Marta Rokosz ◽  
Katarzyna Tabiś ◽  
Maciej Barański

Background: The global epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 caused various deprivations and threats and forced the implementation of drastic restrictions in the whole world, including Poland. Objectives: Recognizing the consequences of the epidemic in the context of basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, the level of experienced stress, and the use of coping strategies.Design: The results of the pre-epidemic group (N = 626; aged 18 - 40) were compared with the results of the epidemic group (N = 282; aged 17 - 44). The following tests were used; BPNS&FS (Chen et al., 2015), PSS (Cohen et al., 1983), and COPE (Carver et al., 1989).Results: Women from the epidemic group reported higher levels of stress, lower satisfaction and higher frustration of autonomy and competence than the control group. Men from the epidemic group differed from the control group only by a higher frustration of autonomy. We found significant differences in coping strategy preference. The epidemic group was characterized by the following strategies: acceptance, mental disengagement, restraint, positive reinterpretation and growth, use of emotional social support, and use of humor.Conclusions: The results are consistent with previously documented reactions to uncontrolled and critical stressors and indicate the adaptability of undertaken coping efforts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Liu ◽  
Meng Zhou ◽  
Xiangchun Li ◽  
Xining Zhang ◽  
Qinghua Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractThere is a male preponderance in gastric cancer (GC), which suggests a role of androgen and androgen receptor (AR). However, the mechanism of AR signaling in GC especially in female patients remains obscure. We sought to identify the AR signaling pathway that might be related to prognosis and examine the potential clinical utility of the AR antagonist for treatment. Deep learning and gene set enrichment analysis was used to identify potential critical factors associated with gender bias in GC (n = 1390). Gene expression profile analysis was performed to screen differentially expressed genes associated with AR expression in the Tianjin discovery set (n = 90) and TCGA validation set (n = 341). Predictors of survival were identified via lasso regression analyses and validated in the expanded Tianjin cohort (n = 373). In vitro and in vivo experiments were established to determine the drug effect. The GC gender bias was attributable to sex chromosome abnormalities and AR signaling dysregulation. The candidates for AR-related gene sets were screened, and AR combined with miR-125b was associated with poor prognosis, particularly among female patients. AR was confirmed to directly regulate miR-125b expression. AR-miR-125b signaling pathway inhibited apoptosis and promoted proliferation. AR antagonist, bicalutamide, exerted anti-tumor activities and induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, using GC cell lines and female patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. We have shed light on gender differences by revealing a hormone-regulated oncogenic signaling pathway in GC. Our preclinical studies suggest that AR is a potential therapeutic target for this deadly cancer type, especially in female patients.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Qinghua Chen ◽  
Wenqing Zhao ◽  
Qun Li ◽  
Harnof Sagi

BACKGROUND: with the increase of study and life pressure, the number of depressed college students showed an increasing trend year by year, and the drug treatment alone could not achieve a comprehensive recovery of depression patients, so it was more necessary to pay attention to the spiritual treatment. OBJECTIVE: this research aimed to better understand the relationship between college students’ depression and life events, social support, psychological pressure, and coping style, and the influence of systematic family therapy on depression degree, psychological stress, and social adaptability of college students with depression. METHODS: in this study, 105 college students with depression were selected as the research object, and healthy college students were taken as the control group. Through questionnaire, the differences in life events, social support, psychological stress, and coping styles between the groups were compared. The correlation between the degree of depression and various variables were analyzed, and the impact path of each variable on depression was analyzed using the path analysis model. Depression patients were then divided into a conventional group treating with conventional medications and an observation group treating with systematic family interventions. Differences in Hamilton Depression Scale-17, (HAMD-17), CPSS, and Social Adaptive Functioning Evaluation (SAFE) scores were compared and analyzed between the two groups before treatment (T1), during the treatment (T2), and after treatment(T3). RESULTS: there were significant differences in scores of life events, social support, psychological stress, and coping styles between the healthy control group and the depressed patients (P <  0.05). There was an obvious correlation between different depression degrees and life events, social support, psychological stress, and coping styles (P <  0.05). Life events, social support, and psychological stress had a direct and significant impact on depression (0.250, 0.218, and 0.392; P <  0.05), and they also had an indirect and significant impact on depression through coping styles (P <  0.05). The systematic family treatment model could significantly reduce HAMD-17 and CPSS scores (P <  0.05), and significantly improve SAFE scores (P <  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: adverse life events, lack of social support, excessive psychological stress, and negative coping styles can aggravate college students’ depression. Systematic family therapy can improve the degree of depression, reduce the psychological stress, and enhance the social adaptability of college students with depression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryo Yokomizo ◽  
Yukiko Fujiki ◽  
Harue Kishigami ◽  
Hiroshi Kishi ◽  
Tohru Kiyono ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Thin endometrium adversely affects reproductive success rates with fertility treatment. Autologous transplantation of exogenously prepared endometrium can be a promising therapeutic option for thin endometrium; however, endometrial epithelial cells have limited expansion potential, which needs to be overcome in order to make regenerative medicine a therapeutic strategy for refractory thin endometrium. Here, we aimed to perform long-term culture of endometrial epithelial cells in vitro. Methods We prepared primary human endometrial epithelial cells and endometrial stromal cells and investigated whether endometrial stromal cells and human embryonic stem cell-derived feeder cells could support proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells. We also investigated whether three-dimensional culture can be achieved using thawed endometrial epithelial cells and endometrial stromal cells. Results Co-cultivation with the feeder cells dramatically increased the proliferation rate of the endometrial epithelial cells. We serially passaged the endometrial epithelial cells on mouse embryonic fibroblasts up to passage 6 for 4 months. Among the human-derived feeder cells, endometrial stromal cells exhibited the best feeder activity for proliferation of the endometrial epithelial cells. We continued to propagate the endometrial epithelial cells on endometrial stromal cells up to passage 5 for 81 days. Furthermore, endometrial epithelium and stroma, after the freeze-thaw procedure and sequential culture, were able to establish an endometrial three-dimensional model. Conclusions We herein established a model of in vitro cultured endometrium as a potential therapeutic option for refractory thin endometrium. The three-dimensional culture model with endometrial epithelial and stromal cell orchestration via cytokines, membrane-bound molecules, extracellular matrices, and gap junction will provide a new framework for exploring the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of implantation. Additionally, modified embryo culture, so-called “in vitro implantation”, will be possible therapeutic approaches in fertility treatment.


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