Cross-Border Reproductive Care: Psychological Distress in A Sample of Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization Treatment with and without Oocyte Donation

Background: Cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) refers to the movement of patients to foreign countriesfor fertility treatment. Limited evidence indicates that this phenomenon is associated with a risk of psychologicaldistress, but few studies on the psychological impact of CBRC are currently available. The aim of this studywas to compare the anxiety and depression levels of a group of cross-border patients with a local Spanish patientgroup, both of which underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. We also sought to explore the clinical,sociodemographic and personality profiles of the CBRC group and local women.Materials and Methods: This present cross-sectional study was conducted on 161 infertile females (71 CBRCpatients and 90 local women) who were undergoing IVF treatment. The following questionnaires were used tocollect data: Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and theZuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ). Sociodemographic, clinical, reproductive and CBRCvariables were also recorded.Results: CBRC patients, specifically CBRC oocyte recipients, showed higher levels of anxiety compared to localwomen. However, no significant differences in depression scores were found between both groups. Finally,when analysing personality, the Activity scale scores of the ZKPQ were found to be higher in CBRC oocyterecipients, which indicated a greater tendency for general activity and higher energy levels.Conclusion: CBRC oocyte recipient women may have greater vulnerability to anxiety than local women priorto infertility treatment. Screening and psychological support protocols for anxiety in this population should beconsidered.