Effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention on fertility-related stress and quality of life among women undergoing infertility treatment

Infertility is a multifaceted biopsychosocial condition that significantly affects women’s emotional well-being and social functioning. Although assisted reproductive technologies address biomedical aspects of infertility, psychological distress often remains insufficiently integrated into routine care. The present study examined the effectiveness of a structured psychosocial intervention in reducing fertility-related stress and improving emotional and social quality of life among women undergoing infertility treatment. A controlled pre–post experimental design was used with 60 women with primary infertility (25–40 years) selected from fertility clinics in Pune, India. Participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group (n = 30) received a 28-day psychosocial intervention, and the control group (n = 30) received standard medical care. Fertility-related stress was measured using the COMPI Fertility Related Stress Scale, and emotional and social quality of life were assessed using the Fertility Quality of Life instrument before and after the intervention. Results showed that the experimental group reported significantly lower stress than the control group, F(1,57) = 6.84, p = 0.011, partial η 2 = 0.11, indicating that the intervention contributed to reducing stress. Significant improvements were also found in emotional quality of life, F(1,57) = 8.27, p = 0.006, partial η 2 = 0.13, and social quality of life, F(1,57) = 5.92, p = 0.018, partial η 2 = 0.09. Regression analysis indicated that reduction in fertility-related stress did not significantly predict post-intervention emotional and social well-being (β = − 0.38, p = 0.129), explaining approximately 17% of the variance in quality-of-life outcomes. These findings suggest that while psychosocial interventions may contribute to emotional resilience and social adjustment, stress reduction alone may not be a strong independent predictor of overall quality-of-life improvements in infertility treatment settings.