Effect of Collaborative Infertility Counseling on Coping Strategies and Marital Satisfaction Among Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Control Trial

Marital Satisfaction

Time Frame: Three Months

The Marital Satisfaction Index (MSI) was developed by Cheung \& Hudson, (1982) to measure the degree of marital satisfaction. It consists of 25 items of which 13 are positively worded and 12 are negatively worded. The responses will be rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = None of the time, 2 = Very rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Most of the time, and 5 = All the time). The minimum and maximum scores of the MSI are 25 and 75, respectively. The higher score (above 30) indicates women's dissatisfaction. The GHQ-28 and FPI will be used to assess women's general health and perceived fertility-related stress respectively (Goldberg \& Hillier, 1979; Sherrard, Newton, \& Glavac, 1999).

Coping strategies

Time Frame: Three Months

The Ways of Coping-Revised (WOC-R) questionnaire will be adopted from Folkman, Lazarus, Pimley, \& Novacek, (1987) to evaluate women coping styles. It contains 31 items and 8 subscales graded by a 3-point Likert scale. It is divided into problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. The problem-focused strategy includes 4 subscales: planful problem solving, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and positive reappraisal. The emotional-focused coping strategy includes 4 subscales: confrontive coping, self-controlling, distancing, and escape/avoidance. The responses will be rated on a 3-point scale (0 = didn't use to 2 = used all the time).