Henrich Natalie, Jahnke Hannah R
Maven Clinic, New York, NY, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2025 Sep 9. doi: 10.1007/s10995-025-04157-9.
While it is well established that trying to conceive while experiencing infertility and undergoing fertility treatment is associated with anxiety, little is known about the mental health toll of trying to conceive without fertility treatment. Minimal contact with the healthcare system while trying to conceive without treatment contributes to low rates of detection and support for this population.
This research aims to provide formative insights into the prevalence of mental health distress and desire for emotional support among people who are trying to conceive without treatment, and how this compares to people who are considering or using fertility treatment.
This retrospective cohort study included 3,458 US-based individuals who used Maven, a comprehensive digital platform for reproductive and women's health. Descriptive statistics and bivariate tests were used to determine differences in prevalence of depression, anxiety, conception-specific anxiety, and interest in receiving emotional support at various stages of the trying to conceive pathway.
Users trying to conceive without treatment, considering treatment, and using treatment screened positive at comparable rates for depression (4.1%, 4.2%, 4.6%; p = 0.82), generalized anxiety (7.5%, 8.9%, 8.8%; p = 0.77), and conception-specific anxiety (22.0%, 23.5%, 20.4%; p = 0.13). Interest in receiving emotional support was lowest in people trying to conceive without treatment, higher among people considering treatment, and highest among people using treatment (32.0%, 34.6%, 39.5%; p = 0.005), respectively.
People trying to conceive without treatment had comparable rates of anxiety and depression to users considering or undergoing treatment. Across all groups, more than 30% of users reported interest in support for their emotional well-being. Primary care providers and digital health platforms can screen and support this population.
虽然众所周知，在经历不孕不育并接受生育治疗时尝试受孕会引发焦虑，但对于未经生育治疗而尝试受孕对心理健康造成的影响却知之甚少。在未经治疗尝试受孕期间与医疗保健系统的接触极少，导致对这一人群的检测率和支持率较低。
本研究旨在深入了解未经治疗尝试受孕人群中心理健康困扰的患病率以及对情感支持的需求，并将其与正在考虑或正在接受生育治疗的人群进行比较。
这项回顾性队列研究纳入了3458名美国用户，他们使用了Maven，这是一个综合性的生殖和女性健康数字平台。描述性统计和双变量检验用于确定在受孕过程的各个阶段，抑郁、焦虑、受孕特异性焦虑的患病率以及接受情感支持的兴趣方面的差异。
未经治疗尝试受孕的用户、考虑接受治疗的用户以及正在接受治疗的用户在抑郁（4.1%、4.2%、4.6%；p = 0.82）、广泛性焦虑（7.5%、8.9%、8.8%；p = 0.77）和受孕特异性焦虑（22.0%、23.5%、20.4%；p = 0.13）方面的筛查阳性率相当。在未经治疗尝试受孕的人群中，接受情感支持的兴趣最低，在考虑接受治疗的人群中较高，在正在接受治疗的人群中最高（分别为32.0%、34.6%、39.5%；p = 0.005）。
未经治疗尝试受孕的人群与考虑或正在接受治疗的用户在焦虑和抑郁发生率方面相当。在所有组中，超过30%的用户表示希望获得情感幸福方面的支持。初级保健提供者和数字健康平台可以对这一人群进行筛查并提供支持。
