Structural Equation Modeling of Infertility Stress Based on Cognitive Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness, Basic Psychological Needs mediated by Psychological Hardiness in infertile women and men

This study was conducted to evaluate structural patterns based on cognitive regulation of emotion, mindfulness, and basic psychological needs with the role of psychological Hardiness as a mediator of infertility stress in infertile men and women. 

The method of the present study is descriptive-correlational modeling of structural equations. The statistical population includes all infertile men and women in Tehran. For this purpose, 200 women and 200 men with primary and secondary infertility diagnosed referring to infertility centers in Tehran in 2018 were selected by multi-stage random sampling. To collect the data, the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS), Cognitive  Emotion Regulation questionnaire, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale (BNSG-S) and Psychological Hardiness were used. Then, the data were analyzed using SPSS and Amoss software and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. 

The results showed that all variables have a significant direct coefficient with the main dependent variable, but considering the significance of indirect and direct coefficients in the female model, it can be said that Hardiness mediates the relationship between these variables in detail. However, in the male model, the role of Hardiness mediation was not confirmed due to the lack of significant indirect coefficients. 

According to the results of this study, according to the indirect effect of Hardiness on infertility stress, it can be said that not all people react properly to stressful conditions. Faced with different social situations, they feel more empowered and committed. They are confident that they will be able to fight and overcome various barriers to life by adopting the right methods and taking advantage of social relationships and support, so it is recommended that health teams be aware of these issues. Think of better measures to treat and improve the stress of these infertile people.