Self-compassion, hope, and well-being of women experiencing primary and secondary infertility: An application of the biopsychosocial model

Abstract

Infertility is experienced by 10% of couples in the United States. This study examined the well-being of 119 women experiencing primary infertility and 53 women experiencing secondary infertility. Utilizing the biopsychosocial model, this study explored the biological variable of infertility type; the psychological variables of self-compassion, hope, subjective well-being, and fertility-related stress; and the social variable of online support group use. Data were collected using an online survey and correlations and regression analyses were run to assess for relationships between the variables of interest and for moderation and mediation. No significant differences were found in the reported levels of subjective well-being or fertility-related stress in the two groups of women. Yet the type of infertility moderated the relationship between hope and fertility-related stress and for women with primary infertility, self-compassion mediated the relationship between hope and positive affect and negative affect.