Efficacy of psychosocial interventions for psychological and pregnancy outcomes in infertile women and men: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the evidence on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for improving pregnancy rates and reducing distress for couples in treatment with assisted reproductive technology (ART). Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources PsycINFO, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library between 1978 and April 2014. Study selection Studies were considered eligible if they evaluated the effect of any psychosocial intervention on clinical pregnancy and/or distress in infertile participants, used a quantitative approach, and were published in English. Data extraction Study characteristics and results were extracted and the methodological quality assessed. Effect sizes (Hedges g) were pooled using a random effect model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q statistic and I2, and publication bias evaluated using Eggers’ method. Possible moderators and mediators were explored with meta-ANOVAs and meta-regression. Results We identified 39 eligibl...