The effect of coping therapy on hopelessness of infertile women

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of coping therapy on hopelessness in infertile women in Kermanshah. Among women who visited infertility clinic, 40 voluntarily enrolled in the study and were divided equally in 2 experimental and control groups randomly. In the pre test phase, infertile women (both groups) simultaneously filled out Beck’s hopelessness scale and Beck’s Depression Inventory (short form). In the next phase, only the experimental groups were treated for 8 (120 minutes) sessions in order to correct coping ways that they used in the past week. After treatment sessions finished, both experimental and control groups (simultaneously) took the post test and follow up (after 3 weeks) phase using only the hopelessness scale. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed coping therapy decreases hopelessness, negative perspective of future, pessimism, not having a plan for future and expecting defeat in infertile women. However, it did not significantly affected instability of thinking. Infertility is not the only problem of infertile women and their future fertility cannot solve their psychological disturbances. Furthermore, these disturbances may have their own negative effects on fertility. So, it is suggested to embody mental health and quality of life in their therapeutic programs.