Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Among Infertile and Fertile Women in Tripoli, Libya

Abstract

Infertility may be accompanied by psychological distress, but the distribution of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among women seeking care in Tripoli requires local evidence. This comparative cross-sectional study included 382 women (191 infertile and 191 fertile) recruited from hospitals, polyclinics, and infertility centres in Tripoli, Libya, from February to September 2022. Symptoms were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–21 (DASS-21). Categorical comparisons were performed using chi-square tests in SPSS version 21. Depression symptoms above the normal category were reported in 12.6% of infertile women versus 4.2% of fertile women (reported p = 0.005), and stress symptoms in 6.3% versus 1.6% (reported p = 0.032). Anxiety symptoms occurred in 23.0% and 17.8%, respectively (reported p = 0.253). Among infertile women, stress classification varied by duration of infertility (reported p = 0.005), whereas the corresponding association with depression (p = 0.244) or anxiety (p = 0.188) was not statistically significant. In this sample, infertile women were more frequently screened positive for depressive and stress symptoms than fertile women. No statistically significant between-group difference in anxiety was reported. The cross-sectional design does not establish causation.