Family- Work Conflicts and Defensive Mechanisms in Infertile and Fertile Working Women

According to the academic literature,infertility is a feeling of helplessness thataffects the general Psychological health inwomen. Psychoanalytic theories believethat infertility is a defensive response toambivalent feelings about maternity andindividual goals. This research aims toinvestigate the discriminating power ofwork family conflicts questionnaire andDefensive Styles Questionnaire (DSQ) ininfertile and fertile women. Work family conflicts questionnaire andDSQ, were administered on a sample of47 working infertile women (52.8%) inNovin infertility clinic and 42 (47.2%)fertile women. Discriminant functionanalysis result showed that 67.7% ofsamples can be differentiated accordingthese two variables (Wilks’ Lambda=0.85, X2= 10.14, p<0.05). Results showedthat infertile women, compared to fertileones have more conflicts and more defensivemechanisms. According to psychoanalytictheories these results can beexplained as psychological suppression offertility. Intolerance of ambivalence andconflict between career goals and desiresfor parenthood has a psychologicalsuppressing impact in fertility.