Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm: a descriptive study

Catrin Borneskog; Gunilla Sydsjö; Claudia Lampic; Marie Bladh; Agneta Skoog Svanberg

doi:10.1111/1471-0528.12214

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm: a descriptive study

Catrin Borneskog, Gunilla Sydsjö, Claudia Lampic, Marie Bladh, Agneta Skoog Svanberg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART), and to study the relationship of demographic data, pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

DESIGN: Descriptive, a part of the prospective longitudinal 'Swedish study on gamete donation'.

SETTING: All university clinics in Sweden performing gamete donation.

POPULATION: A consecutive sample of 214 lesbian couples requesting assisted reproduction, 165 of whom participated.

METHODS: Participants individually completed three study-specific questionnaires and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): time point 1 (T1), at commencement of ART; time point 2 (T2), approximately 2 months after treatment; and time point 3 (T3), 2-5 years after first treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety and depression (HADS), pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans.

RESULTS: The vast majority of lesbian women undergoing assisted reproduction reported no symptoms of anxiety and depression at the three assessment points. A higher percentage of the treated women, compared with the partners, reported symptoms of anxiety at T2 (14% versus 5%, P = 0.011) and T3 (10% versus 4%, P = 0.018), as well as symptoms of depression at T2 (4% versus 0%, P = 0.03) and T3 (3% versus 0%, P = 0.035). The overall pregnancy outcome was high; almost three-quarters of lesbian couples gave birth 2-5 years after sperm donation treatments. Open-ended comments illustrated joy and satisfaction about family building.

CONCLUSION: Lesbian women in Sweden reported good psychological health before and after treatment with donated sperm.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	839-846
Number of pages	8
Journal	BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Volume	120
Issue number	7
Early online date	14 Mar 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.12214
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Adult
Anxiety/epidemiology
Chi-Square Distribution
Depression/epidemiology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Homosexuality, Female/psychology
Humans
Insemination, Artificial, Heterologous/psychology
Pregnancy/psychology
Prospective Studies
Psychological Tests
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sweden
Time Factors

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10.1111/1471-0528.12214

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title = "Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm: a descriptive study",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: To investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART), and to study the relationship of demographic data, pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans with symptoms of anxiety and depression.DESIGN: Descriptive, a part of the prospective longitudinal 'Swedish study on gamete donation'.SETTING: All university clinics in Sweden performing gamete donation.POPULATION: A consecutive sample of 214 lesbian couples requesting assisted reproduction, 165 of whom participated.METHODS: Participants individually completed three study-specific questionnaires and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): time point 1 (T1), at commencement of ART; time point 2 (T2), approximately 2 months after treatment; and time point 3 (T3), 2-5 years after first treatment.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety and depression (HADS), pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans.RESULTS: The vast majority of lesbian women undergoing assisted reproduction reported no symptoms of anxiety and depression at the three assessment points. A higher percentage of the treated women, compared with the partners, reported symptoms of anxiety at T2 (14% versus 5%, P = 0.011) and T3 (10% versus 4%, P = 0.018), as well as symptoms of depression at T2 (4% versus 0%, P = 0.03) and T3 (3% versus 0%, P = 0.035). The overall pregnancy outcome was high; almost three-quarters of lesbian couples gave birth 2-5 years after sperm donation treatments. Open-ended comments illustrated joy and satisfaction about family building.CONCLUSION: Lesbian women in Sweden reported good psychological health before and after treatment with donated sperm.",

keywords = "Adult, Anxiety/epidemiology, Chi-Square Distribution, Depression/epidemiology, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Homosexuality, Female/psychology, Humans, Insemination, Artificial, Heterologous/psychology, Pregnancy/psychology, Prospective Studies, Psychological Tests, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sweden, Time Factors",

author = "Catrin Borneskog and Gunilla Sydsj{\"o} and Claudia Lampic and Marie Bladh and Svanberg, {Agneta Skoog}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2013 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology {\textcopyright} 2013 RCOG.",

year = "2013",

month = jun,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/1471-0528.12214",

language = "English",

volume = "120",

pages = "839--846",

journal = "BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology",

issn = "1470-0328",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm

T2 - a descriptive study

AU - Borneskog, Catrin

AU - Sydsjö, Gunilla

AU - Lampic, Claudia

AU - Bladh, Marie

AU - Svanberg, Agneta Skoog

PY - 2013/6/1

Y1 - 2013/6/1

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART), and to study the relationship of demographic data, pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans with symptoms of anxiety and depression.DESIGN: Descriptive, a part of the prospective longitudinal 'Swedish study on gamete donation'.SETTING: All university clinics in Sweden performing gamete donation.POPULATION: A consecutive sample of 214 lesbian couples requesting assisted reproduction, 165 of whom participated.METHODS: Participants individually completed three study-specific questionnaires and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): time point 1 (T1), at commencement of ART; time point 2 (T2), approximately 2 months after treatment; and time point 3 (T3), 2-5 years after first treatment.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety and depression (HADS), pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans.RESULTS: The vast majority of lesbian women undergoing assisted reproduction reported no symptoms of anxiety and depression at the three assessment points. A higher percentage of the treated women, compared with the partners, reported symptoms of anxiety at T2 (14% versus 5%, P = 0.011) and T3 (10% versus 4%, P = 0.018), as well as symptoms of depression at T2 (4% versus 0%, P = 0.03) and T3 (3% versus 0%, P = 0.035). The overall pregnancy outcome was high; almost three-quarters of lesbian couples gave birth 2-5 years after sperm donation treatments. Open-ended comments illustrated joy and satisfaction about family building.CONCLUSION: Lesbian women in Sweden reported good psychological health before and after treatment with donated sperm.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART), and to study the relationship of demographic data, pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans with symptoms of anxiety and depression.DESIGN: Descriptive, a part of the prospective longitudinal 'Swedish study on gamete donation'.SETTING: All university clinics in Sweden performing gamete donation.POPULATION: A consecutive sample of 214 lesbian couples requesting assisted reproduction, 165 of whom participated.METHODS: Participants individually completed three study-specific questionnaires and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): time point 1 (T1), at commencement of ART; time point 2 (T2), approximately 2 months after treatment; and time point 3 (T3), 2-5 years after first treatment.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety and depression (HADS), pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans.RESULTS: The vast majority of lesbian women undergoing assisted reproduction reported no symptoms of anxiety and depression at the three assessment points. A higher percentage of the treated women, compared with the partners, reported symptoms of anxiety at T2 (14% versus 5%, P = 0.011) and T3 (10% versus 4%, P = 0.018), as well as symptoms of depression at T2 (4% versus 0%, P = 0.03) and T3 (3% versus 0%, P = 0.035). The overall pregnancy outcome was high; almost three-quarters of lesbian couples gave birth 2-5 years after sperm donation treatments. Open-ended comments illustrated joy and satisfaction about family building.CONCLUSION: Lesbian women in Sweden reported good psychological health before and after treatment with donated sperm.

KW - Adult

KW - Anxiety/epidemiology

KW - Chi-Square Distribution

KW - Depression/epidemiology

KW - Female

KW - Follow-Up Studies

KW - Homosexuality, Female/psychology

KW - Humans

KW - Insemination, Artificial, Heterologous/psychology

KW - Pregnancy/psychology

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Psychological Tests

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

KW - Sweden

KW - Time Factors

U2 - 10.1111/1471-0528.12214

DO - 10.1111/1471-0528.12214

M3 - Article

C2 - 23489411

SN - 1470-0328

VL - 120

SP - 839

EP - 846

JO - BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

JF - BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

IS - 7

ER -

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm: a descriptive study

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Keywords

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