Relationship Between Resilience and Fertility Quality of Life in Infertile Women: Mediating Roles of Infertility Self-Efficacy and Infertility Coping.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between resilience, infertility self-efficacy, infertility coping strategies, and fertility quality of life (fertility QoL) in women with infertility. Additionally, it sought to examine the mediating roles of self-efficacy and infertility coping strategies in the relationship between resilience and fertility QoL. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment from December 2021 to March 2022 in reproductive centers in Wuhan, China. A total of 314 participants were recruited using convenience sampling to complete a socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the Infertility Self-efficacy Scale (ISE), the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Coping Strategy Scale, and the Fertility QoL Scale. Results: Resilience (r = 0.375, p < 0.01), infertility self-efficacy (r = 0.584, p < 0.01), and meaning-based coping strategy (r = 0.191, p < 0.01) were positively correlated with fertility QoL. The other three infertility coping strategies, including active-avoidance coping (r = -0.367, p < 0.01), active-confronting coping (r = -0.143, p < 0.05), and passive-avoidance coping (r = -0.130, p < 0.05), were negatively correlated. The indirect effect of resilience on fertility QoL through three mediators, including infertility self-efficacy (β = 0.467, p < 0.001), active-confronting coping (β = -0.214, p < 0.001), and meaning-based coping (β = 0.161, p < 0.001), was significant (value of total indirect effect = 0.263, 95% CI, 0.188 to 0.350) with an effect of 71.5%. Conclusions: Resilience may be a psychological resource that promotes adaptive coping strategies. This allows women to be more confident in their management of infertility and treatment-related concerns, which promotes a better fertility QoL.