Reproductive Mental Health

Rates of distress and poor mental health are high among individuals with infertility. The Coping with Infertility program, made available via this mobile app, was designed to help improve mental health among people struggling with infertility. It consists of seven 10-minute videos, each addressing a specific psychological challenge commonly experienced in the context of infertility. This mobile app is designed to deliver one module per week, along with some additional reading material for some of the modules. The following is a description of each of the seven modules and their focus: • Cognitive restructuring: identifying and challenging the extreme negative thoughts that contribute to a depressive and anxious mood (eg, “IVF will never work”). • Challenging core beliefs: identifying and challenging unhelpful deep-seated beliefs about themselves, other people, and the world that are perhaps not based on reality (eg, “nothing ever works out for me”). It involves looking for patterns in one’s thinking from the first module. • Behavioral activation: identifying activities that have been dropped or engaged in less because of an increased focus on infertility. Aim to reintegrate these previously enjoyed activities into their day-to-day lives. • Sharing your grief: learning about different styles of coping and how clashes in coping styles can lead to conflict within a couple. The individual is instructed on how to engage their partner in a structured conversation about how each can help the other in times of grief, such as following a negative pregnancy test. • Strengthening your relationship (bonus module): provides evidence-based information about how to better connect with one’s partner in general. Was offered along with Module 4 for those experiencing relationship distress. • Living your values (ie, stopping avoidance): reflecting on one’s overarching life values and considering how one’s daily actions align with those values. Indirectly addresses avoidance that is common among individuals with infertility (eg, withdrawing from friends and family and avoiding children and pregnant women). Encourages the individual to consider ways in which they can reduce avoidance without worsening their distress. • Summary or wrap up: providing an overview of the program’s content and encouraging the individual to reflect on what’s been accomplished as well as areas for further development. Users receive access to one module per week and receive a notification both by email and on their phone. Since we aim to track engagement with the program, users are encouraged to complete an online survey (link provided in the app) assessing engagement with the materials throughout each week of the program.