Behavioral and emotional factors and treatment responses in a study of anovulatory infertile women

Conclusions were that a placebo response was observed in both ovulation and pregnancy, but psychologic factors as measured in this sample were not associated with these treatment outcomes.

Abstract

In a controlled treatment study of 49 anovulatory infertile women, responses to clomiphene citrate (CC) and placebo treatments were compared and associations of behavioral and emotional factors with treatment responses were investigated. In the first treatment series, ovulation occurred in 20 of 24 women in the CC group and 8 of 22 women in the placebo group. Pregnancy was achieved by 11 women during CC treatment and 3 women during placebo treatment. Overall, 28 women completed the protocol and 21 withdrew. Those who achieved pregnancy (n = 14) did not differ significantly from the ovulation-only group (n = 22) on pretreatment measures of emotional, behavioral, and personality factors including the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), Eysenck Personality Inventory, Langner Screening Scale, Mood Analog Scale, Social Adjustment Scale, Mooney Problem Checklist, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Conclusions were that a placebo response was observed in both ovulation and pregnancy, but psychologic factors as measured in this sample were not associated with these treatment outcomes.