Infertile Women’s Automatic Negative Thoughts and Coping Strategies: Qualitative Study

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to determine infertile women’s automatic negative thoughts and their strategies for coping with them. Method: This descriptive study used qualitative methods. The study was conducted on 15 women who were referred to the infertility polyclinic of a university hospital and who had been diagnosed with primary infertility. Data were collected via a socio-demographic information form and a semistructured focus group interview (FGI) form and were analysed using the content analysis method. Results: Three main themes were determined in the study: automatic negative thoughts, situations triggering negative thoughts, and coping with those negative thoughts. The situations that triggered negative thoughts were found to include social environments that reminded the women of babies, news of a pregnancy, loneliness, and menstrual periods. The participants chose avoidance, crying, and carrying out religious practices to cope with their negative thoughts. Conclusion: The infertile women in the study often had automatic negative thoughts due to the problems caused by infertility. Infertility consultant nurses should evaluate the negative thoughts and depressive moods of infertile women. Cognitive, behavioral, individual, and group therapies are recommended to solve the psychosocial problems caused by infertility.