Depression Relapse in Women Undergoing Fertility Treatment Clinical Trial
Official title:
Symptom Tracking in Women With a History of Depression Going Through Infertility Treatment.
This study assesses risk factors for depressive relapse in women undergoing fertility
treatment with histories of major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder. The study is
focused on the acute risk factors of depressive relapse.
The investigators hypothesize that risk for depressive relapse will be greater among women
who stop antidepressants compared to those who continue treatment with these agents.
This study hopes to address the following aims:
Specific Aim #1: To delineate the relative risk of relapse in women undergoing IVF, IUI, or
other infertility treatments who discontinue antidepressant therapy for depression, compared
to those who maintain treatment with these agents.
Hypothesis: Risk for depressive relapse will be greater among women who stop antidepressants
compared to those who continue treatment with these agents.
Specific Aim #2: To identify predictors of depressive relapse among women receiving IVF, IUI,
or other infertility treatments
Hypothesis: Relapse rates will be greater among those who have: 1) histories of more
recurrent depressive illness, 2) longer duration of attempt to conceive, and 3) a lower
degree of perceived support from respective partners.
Specific Aim #3 (exploratory): To describe the trajectory of depressive symptoms in women
with histories of depression across the course of IVF, IUI, or other treatments.
Hypothesis: Specific phases of the IVF cycle will have differential effects on the burden of
depressive symptoms. Specifically, these phases include: 1) the phase prior to egg retrieval,
2) the phase after embryo transfer while a woman waits for the pregnancy test or her
menstrual period, and 3) the phase after the experience of a negative pregnancy test (when
applicable) following an IVF cycle. We seek to characterize factors associated both with
vulnerability to more depressive symptoms and to resilience in the context of the different
phases of IVF treatment.
Specific Aim #4 (exploratory): To identify biological markers of stress, including HPA axis
dysregulation and inflammation associated with depressive relapse, during IVF, IUI, or other
infertility treatments
Hypothesis: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, evidenced by increases
in diurnal salivary cortisol patterns and markers of inflammation, will be associated with
higher
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