LLoouuiissiiaannaa SSttaattee UUnniivveerrssiittyy LLSSUU DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmoonnss LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2002 IInnffeerrttiilliittyy aanndd mmaarriittaall aaddjjuussttmmeenntt:: tthhee iinnflfluueennccee ooff ppeerrcceeppttiioonn ooff ssoocciiaall ssuuppppoorrtt,, pprriivvaaccyy pprreeffeerreennccee aanndd lleevveell ooff ddeepprreessssiioonn Margaret Haviland Maillet Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Social Work Commons RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Maillet, Margaret Haviland, "Infertility and marital adjustment: the influence of perception of social support, privacy preference and level of depression" (2002). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 3034. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/3034 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. INFERTILITY AND MARITAL ADJUSTMENT; THE INFLUENCE OF PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL SUPPORT, PRIVACY PREFERENCE AND LEVEL OF DEPRESSION A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In The School of Social Work by Margaret Haviland Maillet B.S., Marquette University, 1991 M.S.W., Tulane University, 1992 December, 2002 Copyright 2002 Margaret Haviland Maillet All rights reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank many people who have been so crucial in my pursuit of a PhD. I would like to thank my mentor and dissertation Chair, Dr. Brij Mohan, for all his guidance, wisdom and support throughout my years at LSU. I also wish to sincerely thank the members of my committee, Dr. Rose, Dr. Allen, Dr. Cain and Dr. Copeland for their participation and expertise. To my dear friends, Colette and Susan, the words thank you are not enough to express my gratitude and appreciation of all the love and friendship you have given me through this process. I will never forget all the trips to the campus and the library. I could not have done this without both of you. To my family, thank you for all the encouragement, confidence and support you have shown me. I want to extend an extra thank you to my mom, Ruth, for her support, help and love. Lastly, to my dear husband, Brian, thank you for the love, emotional support, and for believing in me. Completion of my work at LSU represents a huge milestone and we have so much to be thankful for and to look forward to together. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................Iii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................vi ABSTRACT....................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................1 Area of Concern.......................................................................................1 Purpose of the Study...............................................................................7 Advancement of Social Work Knowledge ...............................................9 Importance of the Study ........................................................................10 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................12 Gender Differences in Reactions to Infertility.........................................13 Impact of Infertility on the Marital Relationship......................................17 Theoretical Perspective on Social Support ...........................................21 Social Support and Infertility .................................................................23 Theoretical Perspective on Privacy Preference ....................................26 Privacy Preference, Social Support and Infertility .................................29 Theoretical Perspectives on Depression, Infertility and the Marital Relationship ........................................................................32 Literature Review Summary ..................................................................34 METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................36 Conceptual Framework..........................................................................36 Hypotheses............................................................................................36 Definition of Key Concepts.....................................................................47 Data Collection......................................................................................48 Instrumentation .....................................................................................51 Data Analysis ........................................................................................55 Summary ...............................................................................................56 FINDINGS......................................................................................................58 Characteristics of Sample and Preliminary Statistics ............................58 Multiple Regression Analysis ................................................................62 Analysis 1..............................................................................................63 Analysis 2..............................................................................................66 Analysis 3..............................................................................................70 Analysis 4 ..............................................................................................73 Analysis 5 ..............................................................................................77 Analysis 6 ..............................................................................................80 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION.....................................................................85 Summary of Findings.............................................................................85 iv Sample, Procedure and Method............................................................88 Analysis .................................................................................................91 Recommendations and Conclusions .....................................................95 Implications of the Study .......................................................................98 REFERENCES............................................................................................100 APPENDIX...................................................................................................107 A. CONSENT FORM..........................................................................107 B. DIRECTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS..............................................109 C. INFORMATION SHEET..................................................................110 D. LOCKE-WALLACE MARITAL ADJUSTMENT TEST.....................111 E. THE MULTIDIMENSIONALl SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT......................................................................................113 F. THE RELATIONAL PRIVACY PREFERENCE SCALE...................114 G. CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES DEPRESSED MOOD SCALE...............................................................................116 VITA .............................................................................................................118 v LIST OF TABLES 1. Age and Years Married for Subjects................................................59 2. Race, Educational Level and Previous Biological Children of Subjects.......................................................................................59 3. Infertility Diagnosis for Wives...........................................................60 4. Referral Source for Couples.............................................................61 5. Means and Standard Deviation for Couples, Husbands And Wives on Dependent and Independent Variables.....................61 6. Multiple Regression Analysis of Couples(cid:146) Marital Adjustment Using Couples(cid:146) Scores..................................................64 7. Multiple Regression Analysis of Couples(cid:146) Marital Adjustment Using Husbands(cid:146) and Wives(cid:146) Scores............................67 8. Multiple Regression Analysis of Husbands(cid:146) Marital Adjustment Using Couples(cid:146) Scores..................................................71 9. Multiple Regression Analysis of Husbands(cid:146) Marital Adjustment Using Husbands(cid:146) and Wives(cid:146) Scores............................73 10. Multiple Regression Analysis of Wives(cid:146) Marital Adjustment Using Couples(cid:146) Scores..................................................78 11. Multiple Regression Analysis of Wives(cid:146) Marital Adjustment Using Husbands(cid:146) and Wives(cid:146) Scores(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133).81 vi ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of perception of social support, privacy preference and level of depression on marital adjustment for couples presenting for infertility treatment. Data was obtained from three infertility clinics in Louisiana from January 1, 2001 through October 1, 2001. Forty-seven couples presenting for infertility treatment completed four questionnaires measuring marital adjustment, perception of social support, privacy preference and level of depression. Demographic and descriptive information was gathered from an information sheet completed by the subjects. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine which, if any, of the independent variables predicted the dependent variable of marital adjustment for couples, husbands and wives. Results indicated that when using couples(cid:146) scores, perception of social support from significant other and privacy reference for solitude explained a significant amount of the variance in couple marital adjustment; when using husbands(cid:146) and wives scores(cid:146), husbands(cid:146) perception of social support from significant other and privacy preference for solitude contributed significantly to the explained variance in couples(cid:146) marital adjustment. When predicting husbands(cid:146) marital adjustment, only couples(cid:146) perception of social support from significant other and husbands(cid:146) perception of social support from significant other were significant contributors to the explained variance. Privacy preference for solitude and perception of social support from significant other contributed significantly to the explained variance in wives(cid:146) marital adjustment when using couples(cid:146) scores. The strongest model was found when using vii husbands and wives(cid:146) scores to predict wives(cid:146) marital adjustment. Wives(cid:146) privacy preference for solitude, level of depression, perception of social support from significant other and from friends and husbands(cid:146) privacy preference for solitude combined to predict a significant amount of variance for wives(cid:146) marital adjustment. Findings from this study have implications for social work practice. As the prevalence of infertility rises, social workers who may be in a position to assist couples in coping with the experience of infertility can use these findings to help address the special issues involved and possible risks to marital adjustment for couples presenting for infertility treatment. viii INTRODUCTION Research indicates that the emotional experience of infertility generally has two components: chronic vacillating stress and the experience of loss (Eunpu, 1995). Although infertility is usually linked to a physical problem of one spouse or the other, the stress and loss associated with infertility can have serious implications for both spouses on psychological, physical, economic, and social well-being. Many studies have indicated that the problem of infertility is experienced as a crisis or major life stressor with potentially serious negative effects on the couple(cid:146)s relationship (Abbey, Andrews & Halman, 1991b; Bresnick, 1981; Higgins, 1990). Conceptual and qualitative infertility research shows that the stress placed on the couple experiencing infertility can seriously impact the marital relationship. Although most clinicians assume that the infertile couple(cid:146)s relationship may suffer, little quantitative research has been devoted to exploring and identifying the specific factors that may impact or mitigate these negative consequences (Leiblum, 1993). Estimates that incidences of infertility will increase to 7.7 million couples by the year 2025 shows that this is a significant social problem (Henderson, 1998). Statistics of this growing social problem highlight the lack of research available to help professionals understand the couple dynamics that may exacerbate the crisis or stress of infertility. Area of Concern Researchers have only recently examined the psychosocial issues involved in the infertility experience. Cross-cultural infertility literature further underscores 1