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:
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