The Association Between Male Infertility Pressure And Their Role Conflict And Self-Esteem

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the current situation of infertility stress,role conflict,and self-esteem of man with infertility,and to explore the influence of gender role conflict and self-esteem on their stress.This study provided evidence for promoting the mental health of male infertility patients.MethodsA cross sectional design using convenience sampling was conducted using three questionnaires–demographic information sheet,Fertility Problem Inventory(FPI)and Gender Role Conflict Survey Short Form(GRCS-SF).A total of 156 male patients with infertility problem completed the questionnaire.These patients were compared with another 190 male patients whose partners have infertility problem(comparison group).SPSS l8.0 was used to analyze data.The score of FPI,GRCS and self-esteem of the two groups was compared by t-test.To further explore the stress of male infertility patients,variance analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were carried out for a single factor analysis.Factors that were found statistically significant(p<0.05)in the single factor analysis were included in the multivariate stepwise regression to further explore how patients'demographics,all dimensions of GRCS,all dimensions of FPI affect patients'stress.ResultsIn this study,366 questionnaires were distributed;354 were collected;346 valid questionnaires were collected;and the response rate was 94.5%.The total scores of FPI(162.7±27.06)and the scores of three sub-scales(Social Concern;Relationship Concern;Sexual concern),the total scores of GRCS(68.54±14.33)and the scores of three sub-scales(Conflicts Between Work and Family Relations;Restricted Emotionality;Success,Power,and Competition)of the 156 patients were significantly higher than the comparison group(p<0.05).However,the scores of self-esteem(26.68±5.96)were lower than the comparison group(p<0.05).the results of multiple regression analysis suggested that being not good at expressing themselves,self-esteem,Others'attitude towards Assisted Reproductive Technology(ART),Competition for success,their education level,Conflicts Between Work and Family Relations,and Infertility fixed number of year were important factors of infertility stress(Adjusted R~2=0.296~0.418,except the sub-scales of Rejection of childfree lifestyle Adjusted R~2=0.076.Among them,Being not good at expressing themselves,self-esteem,and Others'attitude towards ART has entered almost all regression models.ConclusionMale patients with infertility problems in our country bear significant psychological pressure,which should be paid attention to.They were more likely to have more social and sexual pressure,and a more strained relationship with their partner than those in female infertility families.Being not good at expressing themselves,self-esteem,and Others'attitude towards ART were important factors of male infertility stress.First of all,when male infertility patients are not good at and always avoid expressing emotion,they are more likely to have interpersonal barriers and social pressure,to be dissatisfied with their marriage,have a more intense relationship with their partner,were more willing to have a child,and were more likely to cut off the communication with their partner and health care providers.Secondly,the lower self-esteem of these patients is also associated with higher social stress,more intense relationship with their partner,more being willing to have a child,and more sexual stress.Once again,male who minded that others know they applied ART were more likely to have more social stress,more intense relationship with their partner,more being willing to have a child,and more sexual stress.So,health care providers should pay attention to the stress of male patients with infertility,help them to express and relieve their stress,and encourage them to communicate with their partners and others.And,discriminatory language and behaviors should be avoided when providing care for these patients.Health care providers should also protect their privacy and provide convenience for protecting their privacy.