The relationship between acceptance, self-compassion and hope in infertile women: a structural equation analysis

ABSTRACT

Objective

This study aimed to determine the relationship between psychological acceptance, self-compassion and hope in infertile women.

Background

Infertility distress can make women more vulnerable than men. Acceptance, self-compassion and hope can help infertile women to alleviate their distresses and to peruse the medical treatments.

Methods

This study was performed using a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design; A total of 346 women with primary infertility referred to infertility centres of Yazd, Isfahan and Kerman provinces, Iran, participated in the study by completing the self-compassion scale, hope scale and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). Data were analysed using structural equation analysis.

Results

The results of structural equation analysis showed that the path coefficient of self-compassion on acceptance (r = .69, p < .01) and hope (r = .29, p < .05) in infertile women was direct and significant. Acceptance also had a direct effect on hope in infertile women (r = .31, p < .05) and played a significant mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and hope in infertile women.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that self-compassion is likely to be an important strategic intervention alongside medical treatments for infertile women, because it leads to problem acceptance and then increases hope in them.

KEYWORDS:

• Acceptance
• hope
• infertility
• self-compassion

Acknowledgments

We thank all the women participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

Data and materials are confidential, but they will be available upon reasonable request. SPSS and AMOS files and outputs are available at: https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/bxzfyrbbb6/1

Additional information

Funding

This study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies.