O-29: Adopting Problem-Focused Coping Strategies Following Implementation of a Collaborative Counseling Program in Infertile Women Undergoing IVF

Background: Infertility is deemed as a crisis, which typically involves both minor and major losses requiring different coping strategies to successfully adjust, adapt and preserve the emotional balance. Alternative ways has been recommended to cope with this problem in infertile couples. The present study was designed to examine the effect of collaborative counseling on problemfocused coping strategies in infertile women undergoing IVF in 2010 in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 60 women with primary infertility selected from Montaserieh Research Centre and were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. Women in intervention group were counseled in five sessions with the participation of midwife, gynecologist and clinical psychologist. Control group were counseled routinely. Problem-focused coping strategies were measured at the beginning and embryo transfer day using modified Folkman and Lazarous Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using statistical tests including t test and Mann- Whitney. Results: A significant difference was seen between two groups in terms of adopting problem-focused coping strategies at the end of counseling program (p<0.037), i.e. intervention group used more problem-focused coping strategies. In terms of using various problemfocused coping strategies, the application of two strategies including ‘planful problem solving’ (p<0.045) and ‘seeking social support’ (p<0.022) was significantly different in two groups. But no significant difference was seen between two groups concerning making use of other problem-focused coping strategies such as ‘accepting responsibility’ and ‘positive reappraisal’. Conclusion: The use of some types of problem-focused coping strategies increases after conducting a collaborative counseling program for infertile women. So it is suggested to use collaborative counseling approaches in order to help infertile women to overcome infertility problems.