Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern

Background: The present study focuses on examining the association between attachment pattern, anxiety and perceived infertility-related difficulties of women with fertility concerns. Also, the study explores the moderating role of attachment in the relationship between infertility duration and perc...

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Main Authors: Diana Antonia Iordăchescu, Alina Estera Boca, Corina Ioana Paica, Paul Bălănescu, Anca Maria Panaitescu, Gheorghe Peltecu, Corina Gică, Alexandra Buică, Nicolae Gică
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IMR Press 2022-09-01
Series:Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology
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Online Access:https://www.imrpress.com/journal/CEOG/49/10/10.31083/j.ceog4910228
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author Diana Antonia Iordăchescu
Alina Estera Boca
Corina Ioana Paica
Paul Bălănescu
Anca Maria Panaitescu
Gheorghe Peltecu
Corina Gică
Alexandra Buică
Nicolae Gică
author_facet Diana Antonia Iordăchescu
Alina Estera Boca
Corina Ioana Paica
Paul Bălănescu
Anca Maria Panaitescu
Gheorghe Peltecu
Corina Gică
Alexandra Buică
Nicolae Gică
author_sort Diana Antonia Iordăchescu
collection DOAJ
description Background: The present study focuses on examining the association between attachment pattern, anxiety and perceived infertility-related difficulties of women with fertility concerns. Also, the study explores the moderating role of attachment in the relationship between infertility duration and perceived difficulties, but also in the relationship between anxiety and infertility difficulties. Methods: Our study is a descriptive, correlational one. Quantitative data was used, employing transversal and quantitative analysis, thus proving the study to be an experimental one. Survey data was obtained from a total of 240 women with fertility problems (N = 240), aged between 22 and 46 years old (M = 32.71, SD = 4.85). Results: Results show that participants with a pattern of secure attachment had obtained lower scores on state anxiety, trait anxiety and the difficulties scale compared to those with an avoidant one. Also, women that had undergone repeated in vitro fertilization procedures had significantly higher avoidant attachment scores than those that had undergone a single treatment procedure. Another important result is that avoidant attachment moderates the relationship between trait-anxiety and the global difficulties perceived by infertile women. Conclusions: The results of the study show that women can be deeply affected by failed fertilization attempts and repeated miscarriages; as a consequence, they might feel powerless because they cannot become mothers, which leads, over time, to feelings of anxiety, depression, especially when they do not benefit from social support and have not developed resilience mechanisms.
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publisher IMR Press
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series Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology
spelling doaj-art-a4db0797a8c4461dac8a65578372390c2025-08-20T03:19:00ZengIMR PressClinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology0390-66632022-09-01491022810.31083/j.ceog4910228S0390-6663(22)01871-1Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment PatternDiana Antonia Iordăchescu0Alina Estera Boca1Corina Ioana Paica2Paul Bălănescu3Anca Maria Panaitescu4Gheorghe Peltecu5Corina Gică6Alexandra Buică7Nicolae Gică8Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 050653 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 050653 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 050653 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaBackground: The present study focuses on examining the association between attachment pattern, anxiety and perceived infertility-related difficulties of women with fertility concerns. Also, the study explores the moderating role of attachment in the relationship between infertility duration and perceived difficulties, but also in the relationship between anxiety and infertility difficulties. Methods: Our study is a descriptive, correlational one. Quantitative data was used, employing transversal and quantitative analysis, thus proving the study to be an experimental one. Survey data was obtained from a total of 240 women with fertility problems (N = 240), aged between 22 and 46 years old (M = 32.71, SD = 4.85). Results: Results show that participants with a pattern of secure attachment had obtained lower scores on state anxiety, trait anxiety and the difficulties scale compared to those with an avoidant one. Also, women that had undergone repeated in vitro fertilization procedures had significantly higher avoidant attachment scores than those that had undergone a single treatment procedure. Another important result is that avoidant attachment moderates the relationship between trait-anxiety and the global difficulties perceived by infertile women. Conclusions: The results of the study show that women can be deeply affected by failed fertilization attempts and repeated miscarriages; as a consequence, they might feel powerless because they cannot become mothers, which leads, over time, to feelings of anxiety, depression, especially when they do not benefit from social support and have not developed resilience mechanisms.https://www.imrpress.com/journal/CEOG/49/10/10.31083/j.ceog4910228anxietyattachmentwomen difficultiesinfertilitymoderation analysis
spellingShingle Diana Antonia Iordăchescu
Alina Estera Boca
Corina Ioana Paica
Paul Bălănescu
Anca Maria Panaitescu
Gheorghe Peltecu
Corina Gică
Alexandra Buică
Nicolae Gică
Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern
Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology
anxiety
attachment
women difficulties
infertility
moderation analysis
title Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern
title_full Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern
title_fullStr Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern
title_full_unstemmed Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern
title_short Anxiety and Difficulties of Infertile Women. The Moderating Role of Attachment Pattern
title_sort anxiety and difficulties of infertile women the moderating role of attachment pattern
topic anxiety
attachment
women difficulties
infertility
moderation analysis
url https://www.imrpress.com/journal/CEOG/49/10/10.31083/j.ceog4910228
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