Does Self-Compassion Play a Mediating Role Between Stress and Fertility Adjustment in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment: A Structural Equation Analysis

Aktan G. V., YÜCEL ÖZÇIRPAN Ç., USLU ŞAHAN F., KOÇ G.

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/jan.16869
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, AgeLine, CINAHL, Communication & Mass Media Index, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Gender Studies Database, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Aim This study aimed to investigate the relationship between stress, self-compassion, and fertility adjustment in women undergoing infertility treatment in Turkey and to determine whether stress influences fertility adjustment through the mediating effect of self-compassion. Design A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used in the study. Method The study was conducted with 290 women who applied to the in vitro fertilisation unit in a university hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and structural equation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results According to the results of structural equation modelling, self-compassion was found not to affect fertility adjustment, while infertility-related stress directly influenced both self-compassion and fertility adjustment. Additionally, self-compassion was not found to mediate the relationship between stress and fertility adjustment in women undergoing infertility treatment. Conclusion The findings suggest that different dynamics may contribute to women's infertility-related stress and fertility adjustment.