SynthesisBMC women's health2025
The efficacy of psychological interventions for infertile women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC women's health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Swanson's caring theory-based intervention to reduce infertility-related stress and improve coping strategies in women and their partners undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART): a randomized controlled trial.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Trial
- Sleep Quality, Psychological Resilience, and Attachment Dimensions in Women with Unexplained and Male Factor Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- A Narrative Review of Psychological and Physical Rehabilitation in Infertility Treatment: Toward Holistic Outcomes Beyond Conception.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Psychosocial Aspects of Infertility and Medically Assisted Reproduction in Serbia: A COMPI-Based Single Centre Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Psychological Impact of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A Gender Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Mapping the symptom network of anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms and sleep disturbances in 15,642 infertile women: a retrospective cohort study identifying targets for fertility care.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Boosting psychological well-being in infertile women undergoing IVF through Fordyce happiness counseling: a quasi-experimental approach in Zahedan, Southeast Iran.Preventive medicine reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveInfertility is a globally prevalent condition often accompanied by substantial psychological distress. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing infertility-related distress and improving well-being in women and examined psychological and methodological moderators of treatment outcomes.
methodSixty-nine studies involving 5,935 women were included in the systematic review, with 60 contributing data to a three-level random-effects meta-analysis. Eligible studies used randomized or controlled trial designs to evaluate psychological interventions. Primary outcomes included anxiety, depression, general distress, infertility-specific distress, and well-being. Moderator analyses examined differences by intervention type, delivery mode, dosage, format, region, and Assisted Reproductive Therapy (ART) treatment stage.
resultsThe overall pooled effect across outcomes was not statistically significant. However, domain-specific analyses indicated significant effects for anxiety (g = -0.83, p < .001), depression (g = -0.88, p < .001), and well-being (g = 1.39, p = .004). Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)and counselling were among the most effective approaches. In dosage x domain analyses, well-being improved with a greater number of sessions, while longer interventions and longer session duration were associated with smaller improvements. Online delivery and regional differences also moderated treatment effects.
conclusionsPsychological interventions can significantly improve specific domains of mental health among women experiencing infertility. These findings support the integration of targeted psychological care into fertility treatment and highlight the importance of selecting theory-driven approaches matched to the distinct emotional and contextual challenges of infertility. Delivery format, cultural context, and long-term follow-up should also be considered to enhance intervention impact.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.