Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
1
PhD Student, Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2
a) Professor, Midwifery and Reproductive Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran b) Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3
Professor, Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
4
Assistant Professor, Department of E-Learning , Virtual School of Medical Education and management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5
Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.22038/jmrh.2023.74391.2181
Abstract
Background & Aims: Infertility has psychological consequences. Although previous studies paid attention to the psychological effects and suggested many interventions for mental health promotion, the design of self-care interventions and the concept and dimensions of mental health self-care have received less attention. This study was conducted to explain the concept and dimensions of mental health self-care in infertile women.
Methods: This study was conducted on November 2021 to February 2022 using the conventional content analysis method. Purposive sampling was performed and continued until reaching data saturation. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 participants at the Babol Infertility Center. The interviews were recorded and typed in Word. The Graneheim and Lundman method (2004) was utilized to analyze the data in MAXQDA software.
Results: Data analysis resulted in the extraction of one theme, three categories and 15 subcategories. Theme infertility stress coping strategies and treatment consisted of emotion-focused stress coping skills, treatment-seeking and mental symptoms self-management categories with six, two and six subcategories, respectively. Mental health self-care is a set of behaviors adopted by infertile women to prevent the effects of infertility on their mental health and includes strategies such as emotion-focused stress coping skills, treatment seeking, and self-management of mental symptoms.
Conclusion: Infertile women adopt the strategies of emotion-focused stress coping skills, treatment seeking, and self-management of mental symptoms to deal with mental pressures of infertility. Each category and subcategory can be used as a target in the design of interventions for the promotion of mental health self-care behaviors.
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