Psychology Unit

Methodology and Resources:

l. - Identify psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc. This information is not used to exclude participants from the treatment but to deal with these problems.

2. - To evaluate what infertility means for the couple with and how it influences their lives: In social relationships: work, family, friends and other social circles. In the couple’s relationship.

3. - Identify myths, prejudices, preconceived ideas or guilt ideas. All thoughts and irrational ideas will affect the emotional state and behavior of individuals. Some of the more usual preconceived ideas relate to the belief that there is a link between past behavior (promiscuity, abortions, contraception methods, etc.) and sterility. There are also false beliefs about the direct relationship between fertility and sexual potency and among the causes of infertility and the blame for infertility.

4. - To identify any long-term sexual dysfunction.

5. -Exploring the feelings of the couple regarding the possibility of living with children or without them.

6 .- To address the question of to what extent their desire to have children are mediated by internal or external reasons.

7 .- To identify if they have the coping resources of stress arising from the treatment.

8 .- To assess how the information is processed and how decisions on the various alternatives that occur during treatment are made.

9 .- Detect subjects with psychopathology in whom that treatment might aggravate their condition.

Objectives of psychological intervention in the processes of Assisted Reproduction:

1 .- Provide opportunity for patients to expose issues, oubts and fears about the diagnosis and medical treatment. Help them to determine their priorities.

2 .- Talk about related ethical, religious and moral treatment.

3 .- Training in relaxation techniques.

4 .- Training in “Facing Up” techniques:.

5 .- Neutralization of cognitive distortions, arising from the blame ideas.

6 .- Addressing problems of depression and anxiety.

7 .- Management of emotions.

8 .- Technical methods to reduce stress derived from the treatment, especially for patients in IVF treatment, with special emphasis on the first two weeks of waiting for results and at the time that the final results are known.

9 .- To help manage the information "what do they want to give?" and "how do they want to give?" to his social circle: work, family, friends, and so on.

10 .- In cases where it is necessary to help them to deal with the fact of stopping the treatment, and inform them of alternatives that exist for Assisted Reproduction: adoption, living without children, etc.

11 .- Trying to refer patients with problems of substances addictions.