Women seeking in vitro fertilisation should be offered locally developed eastern-style counselling to reduce their anxiety - and possibly increase their chances of a successful pregnancy, academics said yesterday.
The University of Hong Kong released findings of a two-year study that showed women who underwent the new psychosocial intervention approach were able to reduce their anxiety over in vitro fertilisation.
Assisted reproduction treatments are usually invasive, demanding and stressful.
Cecilia Chan Lai-wan, director of the university's Centre on Behavioural Health, said her team developed the Eastern Body-Mind-Spirit intervention approach, which was culture-specific for the local population.
'We incorporated eastern philosophy and Chinese medicine concepts of going with the flow, strengthening your resilience. Instead of confronting anxiety and depression, we accept the infertility,' Professor Chan said.
The technique combines meditation, massage and acupressure with mental rehearsals of the IVF process, role practice and emphasis on spiritual health. The study involved 184 women who were undergoing the first cycle of IVF treatment from 2001 to 2003. Of the total, 69 underwent a course of four sessions of the Eastern Body-Mind-Spirit intervention, while 115 received no counselling.