Elsevier

Fertility and Sterility

Volume 72, Issue 4, October 1999, Pages 623-628
Fertility and Sterility

Infertility
Development of the fertility adjustment scale

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Abstract

Objective: To develop a standardized measure of psychological adjustment to infertility.

Design: A cross-sectional two-group comparison study.

Setting: Two specialized fertility clinics in large teaching hospitals.

Patient(s): Fifty men and 50 women undergoing evaluation and/or treatment of fertility problems.

Intervention(s): The Fertility Adjustment Scale was administered with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as a measure of concurrent validity.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Scores on the Fertility Adjustment Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Result(s): Scores on the Fertility Adjustment Scale were distributed normally. Split-half and internal consistency were high. A significant correlation with measures of mood, anxiety, and distress provided evidence of concurrent validity.

Conclusion(s): Preliminary results suggest that this measure will be a useful tool in assessing psychological reactions to fertility problems and outcomes of treatment.

Keywords

Infertility
adjustment
measure
distress

Cited by (0)

Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London.

Department of Psychology, Guys, Kings College and Saint Thomas’ Medical and Dental Schools, Saint Thomas’ Hospital, London.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London Medical School.

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Department of Reproductive Medicine, Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, and Department of Surgery, Imperial College School of Medicine, London.