The influence of self-compassion on the mental health and well-being of women experiencing infertility: a systematic review.

Infertility can cause significant distress to women, increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. This systematic review examined the influence of self-compassion interventions on mental health and well-being among women experiencing infertility. The review was conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and reported following PRISMA guideline. Databases searched included Medline, Embase, Ovid nursing database, Emcare, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library from inception to November 2024. Quality assessment was conducted using JBI critical appraisal tools. Title and abstract screening was conducted by three reviewers, and data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, seven intervention studies (n = 591 participants) and nine cross-sectional studies (n = 3005 participants). Intervention studies reported a reduction in depression, anxiety, shame and feelings of defeat, alongside improvements in self-compassion, well-being, quality of life (QoL), self-efficacy, emotion regulation difficulties and coping strategies. Meta-analysis was not undertaken due to substantial clinical, methodological and outcome heterogeneity across included studies. Cross-sectional studies indicated that higher self-compassion was associated with lower fertility-related stress and better psychological outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that self-compassion interventions, including education-based approaches, may improve psychological health and resilience in women experiencing infertility. Incorporating multi-faceted education-based strategies to enhance self-compassion may provide further support and resilience for this population.