Effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Psychological Distress in Women with Primary Infertility

Authors

  • Bushra Naz Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore
  • Syeda Shahida Batool Professor, Vice Chancellor, The Women University Multan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54938/ijemdss.2026.05.2.674

Keywords:

Primary infertility, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Distress, Women, Mental health

Abstract

Infertility is a significant reproductive health issue that adversely affect the psychological well-being of women, often leading to anxiety, depression, stress, hopelessness and reduced quality of life. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in reducing psychological distress among women experiencing infertility. A pretest-posttest one group quasi experimental design was employed in which infertile women experiencing mild to moderate psychological distress participated in a structured CBT- based intervention. Standardized psychological assessment measures Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS: Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), along with Emotional and Social Distress Scale (Naz etal., 2022) were used to measure pre-post responses. Findings indicated that there is a significant reduction in depression, anxiety, stress and all levels of emotional and social distress except ESDS Sexual and Marital issues in terms of pre-post evaluation of scores. The study highlights the importance of integrating psychological interventions into infertility treatment and reproductive health services to enhance mental health outcomes and overall well-being among infertile women.

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References

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Published

2026-07-19

How to Cite

Bushra Naz, & Syeda Shahida Batool. (2026). Effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Psychological Distress in Women with Primary Infertility. International Journal of Emerging Multidisciplinaries: Social Science, 5(2), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.54938/ijemdss.2026.05.2.674

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Section

Research Article