Pnm-32: Differences Between Men and Women in Coping Styles with Infertility in First Visit

Background: Infertility is a stressful event for both couples; therefore investigation of coping styles can be helpful to show how to improve mental health in couple infertile. The aim of this study was to compare individual coping processes of men and women in infertile couples. Materials and Methods: Study participants were comprised of 142 men and women who were referred to Fatemeh Alzahra Fertility & Infertility Health Research Center of Babol city between Jan and September 2012 for first visit. The couples completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). Couples compared regarding to eight psychological variable in two ways coping styles, emotional -oriented (confronting coping, distancing, self – controlling, and escape - avoidance), and problem- solving oriented (seeking social support, accepting responsibility, planned problem-solving, and positive reevaluation). Results: Both men and women used unconstructive coping ways (emotional -oriented) than constructive coping ways (problem-solving oriented). Women used significantly more than men two of four sub-scales of emotional –oriented (confronting coping 3.6±0.58 versus 3.3±0.45; p<0.05, distancing 3.5±0.57versus 3.1±0.51; p<0.05). Also, women used significantly less than men two of four sub-scales of problem-solving oriented (accepting responsibility 2.2±0.36 versus 2.8±0.41; p<0.05, positive reevaluation 3.6±0.59 versus 4.1±0.66; p<0.05). Women used significantly more only one constructive coping styles, seeking social support, compared with men (4.1±0.66 versus 3.2±0.41; p<0.05). Conclusion: Both couples infertile, especially women, use unconstructive coping ways with infertility more than constructive ways. Psychological intervention is necessary to improve skills of coping with stress in couples infertile, especially in begging of reproductive treatments, to prevent from psychiatric disorders.