A Cross-Sectional Study of Mental Illnesses Among Infertile Women in Saudi Arabia

Background: Infertility is a global issue and carries significant mental health implications. Data on mental health among infertile women in Saudi Arabia are limited.<br /> Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress among infertile women in Saudi Arabia.<br /> Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included women of reproductive age visiting governmental hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The participants were asked to fill out a pre-structured questionnaire, which included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess their mental health status. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 29.0 (released 2023, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The three outcome variables derived from the DASS-21 were categorized into five distinct groups for descriptive purposes.<br /> Results: In this study, infertile women had significantly higher median scores for depression (18), anxiety (15), and stress (20) compared to fertile women who had median scores of 8, 8, and 10 for depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The differences between these two groups were statistically significant (p- value < 0.001). Furthermore, employed infertile women reported higher median scores for depression (87), anxiety (84.5), and stress (84.5) compared to unemployed women. In addition, infertile women with a monthly income of 10,001-20,000 SAR had notably higher median scores for depression (89.56), anxiety (90.22), and stress (89.94) compared to other income groups. These differences were statistically significant (p-values < 0.05).<br /> Conclusion: Infertility significantly contributes to mental health issues among women in Saudi Arabia. The findings highlight the need for targeted psychological interventions alongside infertility treatment to enhance the quality of life of these women.