Socio-demographic correlates of psychological distress among male patients with infertility in Zaria, Nigeria

Objectives: To determine the level and socio-demographic correlates of psychological distress among males with infertility. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study involving males with infertility was carried out at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria between June and December 2011. The respondents were initially evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and a sheet designed for the collection of socio-demographic data. Patients who scored above the cut-off points of HADS were further interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview (MINI) depression and anxiety module. Data obtained from the study were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows, version 15. All tests of significance were carried out at a 5% level of probability. Results: A total of 81 respondents with a mean age of 35.1±6.7 years participated in the study. 56 (69.1%) had a formal education. The mean number of years of educationwas 8.5±6.0. More than 50% of the respondents had received unorthodox treatment for infertility, and about 35% had a previous history of sexually transmitted infection (STI). 26 (32.1%) patients scored above the cut-off points of HADS. Psychological distress was found in 23 (28.4%), 14 (17.3%) patients were found to be depressed, while 9 (11.1%) had a generalized anxiety disorder. Psychological distress was significantly associated with a history of marital divorce (χ2 = 24.99, p = .001). Conclusion: Male infertility is associated with psychological distress in Nigeria and the rate is comparable to that of other parts of the world.