PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT TO UNSUCCESSFUL IVF AND GIFT TREATMENT

Twenty-one couples for whom in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or GIFT treat ment failed were followed-up 15-30 months after treatment and compared with 20 couples for whom IVF had been successful. Current mental heal th status, quality of life and marital adjustment were assessed via st andardised questionnaires. In addition, couples' experiences of IVF/GI FT treatment were explored via a semi-structured interview. Questionna ire results showed that unsuccessful IVF/GIFT recipients cannot be dis tinguished from general population norms, However, these couples repor ted more emotional distress relative to those for whom treatment had w orked and females in particular indicated a lower quality of life. Cou ples who had at least one child prior to IVF/GIFT treatment tended to show greater emotional distress at follow-up. Both groups gave similar accounts of the positive and negative aspects of IVF/GIFT treatment, but the unsuccessful group felt less supported by the IVF Unit staff a nd were less satisfied with the counseling they received. The data ind icate that post-treatment counseling may be particularly important for facilitating positive reconstructions of the IVF experience when trea tment is unsuccessful.