Infertility is a problem which has gained increased attention over the past several decades. While many factors may contribute to infertility, some medications may also affect reproductive functioning and thus may have an impact on fertility. This post will focus on the antipsychotic drugs, which are now used to treat many psychiatric disorders other than schizophrenia, including insomnia, anxiety disorders, major depression and bipolar disorder.
While several studies have demonstrated high levels of psychological distress among women pursuing infertility treatment, few studies have assessed the prevalence of psychiatric illness in populations undergoing infertility treatment using standardized diagnostic instruments. In a recent study from Taipei Veterans General Hospital, a university-affiliated medical center in Taiwan, women attending an assisted reproduction clinic were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) (Chen 2004) Of the 112 participants, 40.2% met criteria for a psychiatric disorder. The most common diagnosis was generalized anxiety disorder (23.2%), followed by major depressive disorder (17.0%) and dysthymic disorder (9.8%). Participants with a psychiatric disorder did not differ from those without illness in terms of age, education level, income, or years of infertility.
