Fatoye F O, Eegunranti B A, Owolabi A T, Fatoye G K
Department of Mental Health, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University and University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
Afr J Med Med Sci. 2009 Mar;38(1):63-9.
Ninety five men who accompanied their wives to the fertility clinic of a Nigerian teaching hospital (index group) were compared with 95 matched controls using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Their rates of significant anxiety symptoms (24.2%) and depressive symptoms (20.0%) were higher than the corresponding rates of 13.7% and 9.5% for the controls. The higher rate of significant depressive symptoms in the infertility group was significant (p < 0.05). Their mean scores on the two subscales of HADS (anxiety and depressive subscales) were also significantly higher (p < 0.001). Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that lower anxiety symptoms were predicted by age group among subjects in the index group, indicating that belonging to higher age groups was associated with lower anxiety symptoms. In addition, lower anxiety symptoms were predicted by 'being very religious'. However, higher anxiety symptoms were predicted by previous exposure to couple counselling. On the predictors of depressive symptoms, lower symptoms were predicted by age group and religiosity while higher symptoms were predicted by respondents' previous exposure to couple counselling and higher number of wives. Other factors investigated such as level of education, duration of infertility, attitude towards child adoption, pressure from extended family members on account of infertility, expectation of the respondents on the possible outcome of treatment and the result of semen analysis were not observed as predictors of anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. The observations on emotional distress among these men, together with previous observations that counselling/support received from gynecological consultations is usually inadequate indicates that the quality of psychological support that is available to them needs to be improved and modified. Involvement of mental health professionals (psychiatrists and clinical psychologists) in the provision of psychological couple counselling for infertility-related emotional distress could improve the quality of support provided. The establishment of special counselling units in hospitals providing treatment for infertility is advocated.
95名陪同妻子前往尼日利亚一家教学医院生育诊所的男性（索引组），与95名匹配的对照组人员使用医院焦虑抑郁量表（HADS）进行了比较。他们的显著焦虑症状发生率（24.2%）和抑郁症状发生率（20.0%）高于对照组相应的13.7%和9.5%。不育组中显著抑郁症状的较高发生率具有统计学意义（p < 0.05）。他们在HADS两个子量表（焦虑和抑郁子量表）上的平均得分也显著更高（p < 0.001）。多元回归分析结果表明，索引组中年龄组可预测较低的焦虑症状，这表明属于较高年龄组与较低的焦虑症状相关。此外，“非常虔诚”可预测较低的焦虑症状。然而，之前接受过夫妻咨询可预测较高的焦虑症状。关于抑郁症状的预测因素，年龄组和宗教信仰可预测较低的症状，而受访者之前接受夫妻咨询和妻子数量较多可预测较高的症状。所调查的其他因素，如教育水平、不育持续时间、对收养孩子的态度、大家庭因不育施加的压力、受访者对治疗可能结果的期望以及精液分析结果，未被观察到是焦虑和/或抑郁症状的预测因素。对这些男性情绪困扰的观察，以及之前关于妇科咨询提供的咨询/支持通常不足的观察结果表明，他们可获得的心理支持质量需要改进和调整。让心理健康专业人员（精神科医生和临床心理学家）参与为与不育相关的情绪困扰提供夫妻心理咨询，可能会提高所提供支持的质量。提倡在提供不育治疗的医院设立专门的咨询单位。
