{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T17:38:32Z","timestamp":1786642712214,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786579200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Clin. Med.","JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Infertility is associated with considerable psychological distress and impaired quality of life; however, gender-related differences in these outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to compare anxiety, depression, and fertility-related quality of life between women and men in infertile couples and to examine the relationships between psychological distress and fertility-specific quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 75 infertile women and their male partners attending the Reproductive Health and Infertility Outpatient Clinic. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), respectively. Fertility-related quality of life was evaluated using the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) questionnaire. Group comparisons and correlation analyses were performed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Females had significantly higher total anxiety scores than males (10.44 \u00b1 10.04 vs. 6.18 \u00b1 7.86, p = 0.004). Females also showed higher affective depressive symptom scores (3.21 \u00b1 3.05 vs. 2.20 \u00b1 2.70, p = 0.033). Males reported significantly higher overall FertiQoL scores than females (54.61 \u00b1 4.79 vs. 52.42 \u00b1 6.39, p = 0.019). Increased depression were significantly associated with poorer fertility-related quality of life in males (r = \u22120.463, p &lt; 0.001). Cronbach\u2019s alpha coefficients demonstrated excellent internal consistency for BDI-II (0.905), BAI (0.922), and FertiQoL (0.879). Conclusions: Infertile females experience greater anxiety and poorer fertility-related quality of life than males. Psychological distress is strongly associated with reduced fertility-specific quality of life, highlighting the importance of routine psychosocial assessment in infertility care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15166271","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T17:01:35Z","timestamp":1786640495000},"page":"6271","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Gender Differences in Anxiety, Depression, and Fertility-Related Quality of Life Among Infertile Couples: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3431-2072","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hatice","family":"Yilmaz Dogru","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mersin City Training and Research Hospital, 33240 Mersin, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cuma","family":"Tasin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Perinatology, Mersin City Training and Research Hospital, 33240 Mersin, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1786","article-title":"The International Glossary on Infertility and Fertility Care, 2017","volume":"32","author":"Adamson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2023). Infertility Prevalence Estimates, 1990\u20132021, World Health Organization."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Khorasani, F., Iranifard, E., and Roudsari, R.L. (2025). Gender differences in psychological status of infertile couples: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 25.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-23314-x"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e057132","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-057132","article-title":"Worldwide prevalence, risk factors and psychological impact of infertility among women: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"Norhayati","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Grammenou, M., Michou, V., Itziou, A., Tsiotsias, A., and Eskitzis, P. (2026). The Psychological Impact of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A Gender Systematic Review. Healthcare, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare14030375"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16303","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-94247-z","article-title":"Factors influencing the anxiety and depression status in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer assisted pregnancy","volume":"15","author":"Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"e30320","article-title":"Psychological Problems Related to Infertility","volume":"14","author":"Sharma","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-020-01048-w","article-title":"Dropout of infertility treatments and related factors among infertile couples","volume":"17","author":"Ghorbani","year":"2020","journal-title":"Reprod. Health"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2699","DOI":"10.2147\/IJWH.S539531","article-title":"\u201cLiving with Silence and Shame\u201d: A Meta-Synthesis of Women\u2019s Lived Experiences of Infertility-Related Stigma","volume":"17","author":"Lee","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Womens Health"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"662","DOI":"10.1007\/s10880-019-09653-z","article-title":"Infertility-Related Stress and Psychological Health Outcomes in Infertile Couples Undergoing Medical Treatments: Testing a Multi-dimensional Model","volume":"27","author":"Zurlo","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol. Med. Settings"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zurlo, M.C., Cattaneo Della Volta, M.F., and Vallone, F. (2020). Re-examining the Role of Coping Strategies in the Associations Between Infertility-Related Stress Dimensions and State-Anxiety: Implications for Clinical Interventions With Infertile Couples. Front. Psychol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.614887"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Asiimwe, S., Osingada, C.P., Mbalinda, S.N., Muyingo, M., Ayebare, E., Namutebi, M., and Muwanguzi, P.A. (2022). Women\u2019s experiences of living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda: A qualitative phenomenological study. BMC Women\u2019s Health, 22.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-022-02087-0"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.4103\/aja202334","article-title":"Psychological consequences of a diagnosis of infertility in men: A systematic analysis","volume":"26","author":"Biggs","year":"2024","journal-title":"Asian J. Androl."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"e89453","article-title":"The Psychological Impact of Male Infertility: A Narrative Review","volume":"17","author":"Sahoo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)32667-2","article-title":"Male infertility","volume":"397","author":"Agarwal","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1175","DOI":"10.30773\/pi.2024.0239","article-title":"Psychiatric Considerations of Infertility","volume":"21","author":"Hwang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychiatry Investig."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2021.02.012","article-title":"The association between psychosocial interventions and fertility treatment outcome: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"259","author":"Katyal","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zurlo, M.C., Cattaneo Della Volta, M.F., and Vallone, F. (2023). Paths towards parenthood after repeated treatment failures: A comparative study on predictors of psychological health outcomes in infertile couples persisting in treatments or opting for adoption. Front. Psychol., 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1147926"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2084","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/der171","article-title":"The Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) tool: Development and general psychometric properties","volume":"26","author":"Boivin","year":"2011","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2177","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/det236","article-title":"Predicting dropout in fertility care: A longitudinal study on patient-centredness","volume":"28","author":"Huppelschoten","year":"2013","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1112","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/der051","article-title":"Relationship between quality of life and distress in infertility: A validation study of the Dutch FertiQoL","volume":"26","author":"Aarts","year":"2011","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2013.06.029","article-title":"Predictors of fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) in infertile women: Analysis of confounding factors","volume":"170","author":"Karabulut","year":"2013","journal-title":"Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100879","DOI":"10.1016\/j.srhc.2023.100879","article-title":"Women\u2019s experience of infertility & treatment\u2014A silent grief and failed care and support","volume":"37","author":"Borneskog","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sex. Reprod. Healthc."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e095313","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-095313","article-title":"Psycho-social experiences and coping strategies of infertile couples attending infertility clinics in Saint Paul\u2019s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A qualitative study","volume":"15","author":"Behude","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e967","DOI":"10.1002\/hsr2.967","article-title":"Evaluation of depression, stress, and anxiety among women with subfertility during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Ahvaz, Iran","volume":"6","author":"Afshari","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"163","article-title":"Turkish version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory: Psychometric properties","volume":"12","author":"Ulusoy","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Cogn. Psychother."},{"key":"ref_27","first-page":"3","article-title":"A study on the validity of Beck Depression Inventory","volume":"7","author":"Hisli","year":"1989","journal-title":"Turk. J. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1265","DOI":"10.2147\/IJWH.S469513","article-title":"Infertility-Related Stress, and Dyadic Coping as Predictors of Quality of Life: Gender Differences Among Couples with Infertility Issues","volume":"16","author":"Tang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. J. Women\u2019s Health"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.3390\/women2010008","article-title":"Emotional Support for Infertility Patients: Integrating Mental Health Professionals in the Fertility Care Team","volume":"2","author":"Sax","year":"2022","journal-title":"Women"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2902","DOI":"10.1111\/hex.13598","article-title":"Feasibility and acceptability of psychosocial care for unsuccessful fertility treatment","volume":"25","author":"Fernandes","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Expect."},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"CD012527","article-title":"Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare professionals","volume":"7","author":"Kunzler","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst. Rev."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chen, J., Lei, X., Wangmu, L., Xie, S., Qian, S., Tan, H., Li, Y., Ren, Q., Deng, Q., and Zhou, Y. (2026). Coping strategies as mediators of the relationship between fertility quality of life and psychological resilience among infertile patients: A cross-sectional mediation analysis. BMC Women\u2019s Health, 26.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-026-04284-7"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1339","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/deab040","article-title":"Patient willingness, preferences and decision-making about planning for three complete cycles of IVF\/ICSI treatment","volume":"36","author":"Harrison","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/16\/6271\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T17:11:45Z","timestamp":1786641105000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/16\/6271"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"16","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15166271"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15166271","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]}}}